


Make It or MaKe It Up

by esm3rald



Category: Make It or Break It
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-19
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-01-09 06:45:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1142776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esm3rald/pseuds/esm3rald
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Payson returns to Boulder, after one year absence, she doesn't expect that her life would take such an unexpected turn. An heated encounter with whom turns out to be her new coach, is just the beginning of her problems. With secrets too dangerous to be discovered, strange messages that torment her and her friends and Kelly still missing, she isn't sure who to trust anymore. AU. Inspired by 'Pretty Little Liars'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue - How It All Started

**Author's Note:**

> HI, SORRY TO EVERYONE WHO WAS READING THIS STORY BUT I'M REWRITING IT SO I'LL POST THE CHAPTERS AGAIN ONCE I'LL FINISH MODIFY THEM. THERE WON'T BE MANY DIFFERENCES BUT THESE DIFFERENCES WILL BE IMPORTANT TO THE STORY LATER ON SO I ADVISE YOU TO REREAD THEM. THIS STORY IS OFFICIALLY ON AGAIN AFTER A VERY LONG HIATUS.
> 
> I WANT TO BE SINCERE WITH YOU, FOR A LONG TIME I WANTED TO JUST ABANDON THIS STORY - I ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT ERASING IT ALTOGETHER BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. I WAS EXTREMELY CONFUSED BECAUSE I HAD SO MANY DIFFERENT IDEAS AND IN THE END IT WAS ALL A BIG MESS. BUT I WAS TOO ATTACHED TO THIS STORY TO SIMPLY ERASE IT. SO I FORCED MYSELF TO REVISE EVERY SINGLE NOTE I'VE EVER MADE ABOUT THIS STORY TO TRY TO MAKE SENSE OF IT ALL. AND I'VE FINALLY REACHED A POINT WHERE I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TO TAKE THIS STORY.
> 
> NOW I KNOW EXACTLY THE ROLE OF EVERY CHARACTER AND WHERE I WANT TO GO WITH THIS. MY PROBLEM WAS THAT I WANTED TO FOLLOW 'PRETTY LITTLE LIARS' AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BUT I REALIZED THAT IT SIMPLY WASN'T POSSIBLE BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T YET REVEALED WHO 'A' IS AND SO I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT THE STORY. WHAT I NEEDED WAS TO CREATE MY OWN VERSION OF THE STORY, FOLLOWING BOTH WHAT HAPPENS IN PLL AND IN MIOBI. YOU WILL STILL FIND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN PLL AND THIS STORY BUT THE FINAL PLOT IS MY OWN CREATION.
> 
> AND YES, I KNOW WHO 'K' (THE ANONYMOUS PERSON WHO LEAVES THE MESSAGES) IS.
> 
> I REALLY HOPE YOU LIKE IT AND CONTINUE FOLLOW IT ANYWAY.
> 
> This story is inspired by the TV Show "Pretty Little Liars". There's still going to be gymnastics and all the characters you know but the main plot will be about four friends who are tormented by strange messages and the mystery behind the disappearance of a girl who were best friends with all four of them. There's going to be secrets and lies, forbidden relationships, people who aren't what they seem…
> 
> The story is going to partly follow all three seasons of MioBi and partly it will be completely different. It will also follow a little the story of PLL - since it's inspired by this and all -. A lot of the characters that appeared in the third season are going to be present in the story from the start. Many of the characters may appear OOC sometimes but it's all for the benefit of the story. Even the characters' background may be different from canon. For example all four girls (plus Kelly) are rich like Lauren and Kaylie are in the TV show. I think you can safely consider it an AU story.
> 
> I'm very excited about this. The idea of combining two of my favorites TV shows (MioBi and PLL) together, was on my mind for some time now but for some reason, I just couldn't seem to make it work. I think now I finally found a way to do it.
> 
> Disclaimer: I will only say this once, I don't own Make it or Break it - or Pretty Little Liars for that matter- I just like to play with its characters. I don't make money by writing this story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the prologue is a bit short but it's a prologue after all, the other chapters are going to be longer promise! This one serves only to introduce the story, hope you like it!
> 
> P.S. If you have read the first book of the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard, you're going to recognize different phrases taken directly from it. Generally though I'm going to follow the story of the TV show and not that of the books.
> 
> Characters featured in this chapter in order of appearance: Payson Keeler(played by Ayla Kell), Lauren Tanner(played by Cassie Scerbo),Kelly Parker(played by Nicole Gale Anderson), Kaylie Cruz(played by Josie Loren) and Emily Kmetko(played by Chelsea Hobbs).
> 
> Characters mentioned in this chapter: Leo Parker(played by Marcus Coloma), Max Spencer(played by Joshua Bowman), and Mark Keeler(played by Brett Cullen).

_"Does it look like I've got everything under control?  
I'm good at faking it  
The ice is getting thin but I'm the only one who knows  
I'm only making it up, _ _I make it up as I go"_

_**(Sam Tsui - Make It Up)** _

  

 

**Prologue**

**HOW IT ALL STARTED**

**_10 June 2010_**   

_****_

 

_"Look into my eyes_  
_Now you're getting sleepy_  
_Are you hypnotized,_  
_By secrets that you're keeping?"_

_**(The Pierces - Secret)** _

Payson Keeler was sitting on her best friend Kelly Parker's lawn, her pair of black jeans already stained with green, not that she really cared about those kind of things. She looked for a moment at the clear blue sky, reflecting on the events of the weekend just passed.

"You're stargazing Pay?" Lauren Tanner called from behind her, sliding through a gap in Kelly's hedges and adjusting the short denim skirt she was wearing with a hand.

Lauren lived next door. She came closer to Payson, her clear lip-gloss shining in the sunlight. Payson looked at her for a second, observing the orange sleeveless top paired up with the skirt she was wearing that emphasized her toned, tanned legs.

Payson brushed her long dark brown hair away from her face and then closed her eyes, breathing deeply the warm, early-evening air.

"Very funny Lo." Payson answered, concealing the envious thoughts running through her head. Lauren was always so effortlessly sexy.

"Hey guys!" Exclaimed Kelly from their left, the brunette ponytail swinging with every step through the front yard. Speaking of perfect looks, the black shorts, blue top and blue flats that she was wearing, while rather normal on everyone else, made Kelly appear like she had just come out of a fashion magazine.

"What have I missed?" called Kaylie Cruz, descending from her mother's SUV Mercedes. She waved her goodbye to her, flipping her long, dark brown hair over her shoulder and reached Kelly's side. She didn't sit down because she was wearing a new pink dress and she didn't want to ruin it, so she settled for standing against a tree near them.

The last one to join them was Emily. She walked hesitantly towards them, pulling up with a hand the baggy sweatpants that were hanging on her skinny hips and took a seat beside Payson. She started playing with a strand of her short, brown hair that escaped her ponytail, feeling a little self-conscious.

Emily was very shy and a little awkward and sometimes wondered why Kelly had included her in her little group of friends. She didn't feel particularly pretty, nor was she fashionably dressed like Kaylie and Lauren were and she wasn't smart like Payson was.

In addition to that, there was also the fact that, when Emily had met Kelly, she had basically been an unknown gymnast that had been allowed to become part of the Gym-Max Gymnastics Team thanks to a scholarship. She hadn't been rich like her friends were but when Kelly had entered her life, everything had changed. Her mother had married a rich surgeon who had become the father she had never had and – thanks to the support of her friends – she had gone from 'Unknown Entity' to 'Olympic Promise'. She still couldn't believe that she had won two medals at her first Senior Nationals. It seemed almost impossible that she – ordinary, little Emily Kmetko – was now one of the best gymnasts in the Country, having won two silver medals on bars and vault.

Truth to be told, between the five of them, they had brought home more medals then all the other participants combined. It was incredible.

Kaylie had won a silver medal on floor and a bronze medal on beam beside the bronze medal on the all around while Lauren had brought home a gold medal on beam.

Kelly had – of course – won the title of National Champion plus one gold medal on floor, a silver one on beam and a bronze one on vault but that was to be expected.

Payson had brought home two gold medals on bars and vault beside the silver medal on the All Around, therefore having to settle for second place. Payson was not jealous or upset for this however. Kelly had beaten her fair and square even if she had done her best to win.

Payson had decided to see this defeat as an incentive to do even better the next time until she would become the number one. Payson was like that, super-focused, super-determined and not just in gymnastics. She did her best to succeed in everything she tried to do and rare was the time when she didn't succeed.

"I'm so glad this day is over. I've had enough of all those interviews. I hate reporters." Kelly exclaimed with a long, irritated sigh. She was good at charming reporters and manipulating them into asking the questions she wanted them to but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"I'm glad Nationals are over. I won't have to worry about it for another year, thank God." Lauren commented with a relieved sigh.

"Yeah but the Pan American Championships are in November, we'll have to train hard for those." Payson said this time.

"Pay, come on. Let us have these few days to relax before worrying about yet another competition that won't take place for months still." Kaylie protested this time.

The five of them had bonded four years before, during a gymnastics summer camp just half an hour away from Boulder, and were inseparable ever since. Whether or not Kelly knew the other four, the four of them knew about her.

She was perfect. She was beautiful, witty, smart. Popular. Boys wanted to kiss Kelly and girls – even older ones – wanted to be her. So the first time she laughed at one of Emily's jokes, told Kaylie how much she liked her new top, shared her opinion about boys with Lauren or compliment Payson's new bars routine, they just couldn't help but being dazzled by her. Now four years later, they weren't just best friends, they were the _It Girls_ of gymnastics.

A lot had happened to make it that way. First of all, their parents had opened a brand new gym just for them, there in Boulder, transforming an old warehouse into a top ranked facility with the best equipment money could buy. And hiring the best coach available at the present time. Their new gym – the Rocky Mountain Gymnastics Training Center – commonly called The Rock – was now the best gymnastics club in the Country and the five of them – the Rock Rebels as they were called because of their gym – were the five best gymnasts in the Country. And everyone who was somebody in the gymnastics World was absolutely convinced that the five of them would represent the next Olympic team in 2012.

Everything that had happened in those four years, from gymnastics competitions to sleepovers, had been memorable. There were other things too that they wanted to forget though. One secret in particular they couldn't bear to think about, much less talk about. A terrible secret that Kelly had forbid them to even think about.

Kelly said that secrets were what bounded together the five of them. If that was true, they were going to be friends for life.

"So, what are we going to do tonight to celebrate?" Kelly asked with a smirk.

"Why not go to the summer camp when we first met? We spend the night there, around the fire, inside sleeping bags, telling each other scary stories and stuff…." Kaylie proposed.

"Great idea Kaylie." Approved immediately Kelly and Kaylie smiled at her with a blush. "Best start getting ready now then. We meet again here in an hour okay?" The others nodded and they scattered away to get ready for the evening.

* * *

Not even half an hour away from Boulder, a little town close to Denver, in Colorado, there was a place that in the summer was used as a gymnastics camp. Talented young gymnasts – both boys and girls of different age - from 8 to 12 years old – went there for three intense months, hoping to be noticed by some star coach and really begin a career in the difficult world of professional gymnastics. Now though, the summer had barely begun and the camp wasn't opened yet.

This little inconvenience, though, didn't stopped in the least the five sixteen-year-old girls who had parked their car just in front of the big gate and simply climbed over it. Armed with sleeping bags, marshmallows and a red handheld radio, the young, pretty girls settled themselves around a fire, sitting on big logs and they started celebrating with big, happy smiles on their faces.

Suddenly Kelly, with a smirk plastered on her face, pulled a flask out of her bag, before taking a long sip of the amber liquid inside. "To the Rock Rebels." She toasted with a look at her four best friends. The other four smiled and repeated her exclamation. Then, with a daring smile at the girl sitting next to her she exclaimed: "Come on, Pay. Drink up."

Payson protested slightly but Kelly wouldn't accept 'No' for an answer so with a long, exasperated sigh and a smile on her face, Payson took the flask from her hand and drank deeply. She grimaced at the strong taste but the burning inside her – thanks to the rum – soothed her slightly.

"Take too much of that and you'll tell us all your secrets." Lauren said with a mischievous smirk on her lips.

"It's exactly the secrets we share that will bound us forever." Kelly said with a more serious tone. She smiled soon after though, encouraging the others to keep drinking. Soon the flask was passed from hand to hand and in a little more than half an hour it was emptied. The five girls, more than a little tipsy now, began dancing around the fire, laughing and joking around.

When they were finally too tired to stand, they sat around the fire once again.

"So, where's your brother KP?" asked Lauren, slurring slightly her words. "I didn't see him around much lately."

"He's around somewhere, doing who knows what with who knows whom." Kelly answered with the snarky tone usually reserved for the people she didn't like. "But he's going to leave town once summer's over since he's been admitted to Columbia and all. Good riddance anyway. I won't miss him."

"Leo is leaving town?" Emily asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"Why the sudden interest in my brother Em? I know you get along with him and all but maybe you like him a little too much."

Emily paled, then denied Kelly's accusation with a shake of her head. The others were looking at the two of them alternatively, not understanding what was happening.

"So Pay, when are you going to get the courage to ask Max out? You like him since forever." Kaylie asked with a sweet smile.

"Uhm…. I… I don't know." Payson stammered, embarrassed.

"He should be the one to ask you out. Let the guy come to you." Kelly said but Payson shook her head. She was too shy and awkward around boys. "Of course I'm pretty sure he's interested in Lauren more than you if the way he was looking at her ass yesterday is anything to go by..." Kelly continued with a smirk.

Payson was a little hurt by that comment but she knew it was the way of things. Lauren, Kaylie and Kelly were the ones who the boys were always interested in but for different reasons.

Lauren because she had the courage to dress and behave in a provocative way. Kaylie because she had that 'girl-next-door' charm that made guys wanted to protect her or something. And Kelly because she behaved and dressed in a more mature way and guys liked that a lot. Besides Kelly was very passionate about everything she did and boys loved that too. Only Payson and Emily were the 'overlooked' ones.

"Well, too bad he's not my type at all." Lauren said amused.

"Yeah, I know exactly who is your type." Kelly exclaimed with a smirk and Lauren glared at her, saying "This is not funny."

The three girls who had been left out of the conversation looked at each other awkwardly. Payson looked at her new bracelet with a frown, not having the courage to interrupt the conversation though she was curious about what was going on.

"Is that new?" Lauren asked her suddenly, obviously having noticed the vintage platinum and white gold diamond charm bracelet.

Payson looked at her with a smile. "Yes, it was a gift from my father for the medals I won at Nationals. Every charm represents something about me."

"It's beautiful." Kaylie said with a smile, coming closer to her to see it better.

"Why would you accept something that your father gave you?" Kelly asked in a harsh tone.

Payson glared at her furiously "Shut up Kelly".

Kelly merely smirked at her in reply.

This kind of thing had been happening a lot lately: usually Kelly mentioned something, and someone else got upset, but everyone was too shy to ask what in the world was going on.

"Anyway, I want to try something." Kelly said with a devious smile. The other four girls exchanged worried looks. Kelly's ideas weren't always the best for them.

"What?" Kaylie asked bravely.

"I learned how to hypnotize people. And I want to try it on all of you." Kelly answered.

"Who taught you that?" asked Payson throwing a suspicious look her way.

"Can't say. I was sworn to secrecy. Come on, it will be fun."

"Doesn't hypnosis make you say stuff you don't want to say?" Payson argued still.

"Is there something you can't tell us?" retorted Kelly and Payson shut up at that.

Kelly was always coming up with stuff for them to try but the thing was, they often didn't want to do the things that Kelly made them do. They all loved KP to death, but they sometimes hated her too – for bossing them around and for the spell she'd cast on them.

Sometimes in her presence, they didn't feel real, exactly. They felt kind of like dolls, with Kelly arranging their every move. Each of them wished that, just once, she had the strength to tell Kelly no.

"Ok, fine," exclaimed Emily after a long pause.

The others agreed soon after.

Kelly pulled some scented candles out of her bag and after lighting them quickly, she began to hum. "Okay, now you need to relax and close your eyes. Your heartbeat is slowing down. I'm going to count down from one hundred. As soon as I'm done you'll all be in my power. One hundred…ninety-nine…ninety-eight…"

They fell asleep without noticing and woke up only after the sun had risen on the sky.

Payson was the first one to realize that someone was missing.

"Where's Kelly?" she asked, looking around her. The others shook their heads, not having an answer to that question.

"Kelly, come on, it's not funny. Come out." But no matter how many times they called for her or tried searching for her, it was of no use. Kelly was gone.

 


	2. Interlude - Negotiations and Blackmail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see this is not a real chapter, that's why it's pretty much as short as the prologue. The real Chapter1 will be the next one. I hope you'll like this anyway.
> 
> General Information about Sasha Belov: Sasha is 28 years old. He competed in the Sydney Olympics in 2000, winning 4 gold medals for Romania. At the time he was 17 years old. It was his first and last Olympic cycle. He stopped competing after that because of a grave knee injury. In 2004 he coached the Romanian National Team, bringing home the gold medal team. He kept coaching until the end of 2005.
> 
> Sheila Baboyan is not Kelly's mother, she was her agent. Coach McIntire was the Rock's coach from 2006 to 2008, until he's called to train the Male Olympic Team in Colorado Springs.
> 
> Characters featured in this chapter in order of appearance: Coach Marty Walsh(played by Erik Palladino), Sheila Baboyan(played by Kathy Najimy), Steve Tanner(played by Anthony Starke) and Sasha Belov(played by Neil Jackson).
> 
> Characters mentioned in this chapter: Coach McIntire(played by Dondre Whitfield), Kelly Parker, Payson Keeler, Morgan Webster(played by Tiya Sircar), Emily Kmetko and Alex Cruz(played by Jason Manuel Olazabal).

****

**Interlude**

**NEGOTIATIONS AND BLACKMAIL**

**_8 June 2011 - Wednesday Night_ **

__

_"Sins like skeletons are so very hard to hide"_

**_(Reclusion by Anberlin)_ **

Marty Walsh was working late, like he had been doing all week. This close to Nationals there was so much work to do that sometimes he wondered how he was able to coach five elite gymnasts, least of all have time for anything else. No matter how good his staff was, there were things that he, as the Head Coach of the Rocky Mountain Gymnastics Training Center, had to deal with himself.

And thinking that until recently, The Rock – as they familiarly called it – didn't even exist.

He had accepted the position of Coach after McIntire – the Rock's previous Coach – had left to train the Male Olympic Team in 2008. At the time the Rock had been opened for less than two years and the only real visibility it had gained was more due to McIntire's presence in the gym that because of the athletes who trained there.

He knew from the beginning, of course, that he was taking a big risk, but something instinctively told him that he was making the right choice. And since then, he didn't regret it once.

The idea to build a new gym from scratch – so close to Denver Elite moreover – came from five different families of five junior elite gymnasts – each one coming from a different gym – who had just recently attracted the attention of the Gymnastic World because of their amazing performance in the Junior National Championship of 2005. They had been only eleven at the time.

These five girls had become friends during a gymnastic camp in the summer of the next year and had been unwilling to part with each other once summer was over. And since their parents were aware of what a remarkable opportunity it was and, at the same time, reluctant to deny their daughters anything they asked, they granted their wishes.

In less than three years since its opening, it attracted gymnasts from all over the Country even if the gym jewels remained the five 'Rock Rebels' themselves.

In the following years those same girls became the five best gymnasts in the Country, with Kelly Parker – the leader of their little group – crowned as the new National Champion at her first senior Nationals.

But the Rock was more than a gym, it was a family, a family he was proud to be part of.

And then everything changed: Kelly disappeared in mysterious circumstances one night, at the beginning of June 2010, and now, one year later, nobody had still any idea what really happened to her.

Not too long after Kelly's disappearance, Payson Keeler – silver medalist at Nationals of that same year – moved with her parents to England and, of the original group, only three were left but they weren't as close as they used to be either.

Something was forever broken that summer and the group of 'The Rock Rebels' was no more.

Despite all this though The Rock still remained the strongest gymnastic club in America and if he had anything to say about it, things were going to stay exactly the same for many years to come. No matter what had happened, there had never been a moment since he had come train at The Rock when he had ever regretted his decision.

His thoughts were interrupted by someone who was knocking at his office's door. Who was at this hour? Everyone should have already gone home by now. He was surprised to find himself facing Sheila Baboyan, agent of the still missing Kelly Parker and stepmother of Morgan Webster, a seventeen-year-old girl who joined the Rock Team about two months after Kelly's disappearance. Sheila had become Kelly's agent in 2005 and married Morgan's father in 2010, less than one year ago.

"Sheila, what can I do for you?" He asked her cheerfully.

"You know Marty…" Sheila said while going to sit in the chair right in front of his desk. "The Olympics are only one year away. Now is the time for Morgan to train to the best of her abilities so that, one year from now, she will bring home the gold. But to do so, she needs you, her coach, to give her the best attention possible.

"You see, I think Morgan has a brilliant future ahead of her and she needs you to be present for her every step of the way, and that's something you can't do right now, not with all the time you spend training the other four girls.

"While they weren't really a threat to Kelly before – because she was always the best – Morgan is not yet at the level Kelly was. For this very reason she needs you, her coach, to focus all your attention and time on her if she wants to become the number one."

"Sheila, you know as well as I do that I cannot pay attention only to Morgan. I train five elite gymnasts, not just one, and that's not going to change anytime soon. All of them need me to achieve their goals." Marty answered, not sure why they were having this conversation.

"And that's why I found a solution that will solved all of our problems." Sheila said with a strange smile.

"What do you mean?" He asked her, not liking one bit the direction this conversation was taking.

"I just got off the phone with the Denver club. As you may know, their head coach is about to retire therefore they are very interested in your coaching services. And of course you won't be going alone. You'll be taking Morgan with you." Sheila continued with that same sinister smile still on her face.

"And why should I suddenly leave the Rock to go train in Denver?" Marty humored her.

"Because otherwise I shall be forced to reveal your dirty little secret. Think what a scandal that would be!"

"I really don't know what you're talking about." Marty denied, trying to keep his tone neutral.

"Of course you do. If something like that should come out by any chance, your career would surely be ruined and you'd also probably end up in jail. And you don't want that to happen, do you?"

Marty's face drained of color when he realized what exactly Sheila was talking about.

"You seem surprised." Sheila faked confusion, a twisted smile on her face. "What do you think I was talking about? Maybe your affair with Kaylie's mom? Marty, Marty...this is the least of your sins. Though it would surely destroy Kaylie's family, poor thing!"

"Whatever you're implying, you don't have any proof." He tried to defend himself even if he already knew that it was futile. Sheila had won.

"Oh, don't I?" And with that she pulled out some pictures out of her jacket. Marty took them from her, hand trembling. He gulped, trying to hold back the bile that had risen in his throat. There it was, the damning evidence of his transgression. In vivid colors too.

"Why use it just now? If you had these pictures for all this time..." Marty asked, unable to stop himself.

"Why?" She asked back rhetorically "Because I had no reason to use it until now." She shrugged her shoulders like it was perfectly obvious. "So, we have a deal?"

Marty glared at her but he knew that he had no other choice but to do what she wanted. He knew that mistake would haunt him for the rest of his life, he just didn't expect the punishment to be delivered by Sheila Baboyan of all people. He couldn't help but try one more time to make her see reason though. "Would you really take away their coach? Those girls, they were Kelly's best friends. It's not fair for them to pay for my sins."

"You know as well as I do that this has nothing to do with Kelly, or Morgan for that matter. I couldn't care less about your misdeeds, I'm not here to judge you or condemn you. Everything I care about is the money I'm going to make if Morgan becomes the number one. Of course with Kelly I never needed to do any of this, she always won. That's who Kelly Parker was, a true champion. But she's not here anymore, so I have to settle for Morgan." Sheila said coldly.

With that said, she stood up, walking out of the office without a backwards glance.

Marty kept looking at the pictures, still not believing what had just happened. So much for not regretting his decision.

* * *

_**9 June 2011 - Thursday, Late Morning** _

_**** _

_**** _

_"'Cause everybody wants to hide their secrets away_ _  
_ _Nobody wants to stand up to the pain"_

**_(Secrets by Good Charlotte)_ **

Steve Tanner parked just outside the little stone cottage in the woods. The trees that surrounded it and the little lake just a few feet away gave the place a surreal air. What is Belov doing in a place like this? Steve thought, mentally shaking his head. He came close to the front door, knocking, and then, when he received no answer, tried calling his name but with no results.

For a moment he asked himself what he was doing here. He was supposed to be at the Rock, watching her daughter training, not here, in the middle of nowhere, trying to speak to a man who had been unreachable for the last five years. But then he remembered that he was doing it for Lauren and, even if he had lied to everyone, her daughter included, on where he was right now, he wasn't going to just turn around and leave without even talking to him.

He hadn't taken this decision lightly of course. He knew that the sole fact of being here was a betrayal to every single person at The Rock but like everything else he did, it was for his daughter, to see her succeed.

He decided to go check the backyard just in case. Maybe he was outside and hadn't heard him coming.

And here he was, in fact, the blonde British man he was looking for. Fishing? The rumors about him weren't exaggerated then, he wasn't just weird, he was more on the crazy side. After all, which sane man would choose to live like that, isolated from everything and everyone, instead of doing the job he loved and that he was overpaid for? Sasha Belov, apparently.

"Mr. Belov?" he called, when said man didn't even turn to look in his direction, all his attention focused on the fishing road in his hands. Steve mentally sighed, this was going to be more difficult that he was expecting. "Mr. Belov, Steve Tanner." He tried again. "Look, I'm sorry for just showing up like this but I've tried to contact you and…"

"The reason why I'm not returning your calls Mr. Tanner" Belov interrupted him, still not looking in his direction. "It's because I have no interest in your offer." He answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

No interest? Okay, the man was certifiable. He was offering him a top gym and one of the best gymnasts in the Country to coach and he was refusing like it was no big deal?

Well, he wasn't simply going to accept that answer. "Look, it's been five years since you dropped out." He tried to appeal to the man's ego then. "You're just fading into oblivion. For a man of your talent, it's got to be hard to watch."

"Not if you don't watch." His accent was suddenly thicker, clear indication that he was starting to get irritated. Still, Steve couldn't see his face so he just tried to push harder. He wasn't going to give up that easily. He was a successful lawyer after all. He hadn't won so many cases just by giving up. He wasn't going to leave until the man he wanted hired would accept his offer.

"You're expecting me to believe that the coach who reinvented this sport doesn't even watch it anymore?" He tried to flatter him then but still with no results. Damn, the man was stubborn.

"I don't know you Mr. Tanner so I don't expect you to believe anything." He finally turned in his direction, even if briefly. Steve decided to take this as a sign of improvement. "I assure you I have no interest in going back to coaching anytime soon. Truth is, I have no interest in gymnastics period. I haven't for many years." Now Steve just knew he was lying. A four times Olympic gold medalist didn't just, all of a sudden, stop loving the sport that made him a legend. It just wasn't possible.

He got close to him then and Belov finally, finally, turned to look at him, the fishing road held lazily in his left hand. "You assembled what is perhaps the greatest team in the history of this sport. I think you can do it again and I'm prepared to offer you whatever money it takes to make that happen." There, what man would forego such an offer?

But Belov didn't seem pleased. Far from it. "You think I left England to compete in Romania because I want money? Who do I look like, David Beckham?" He glared at him, obviously offended.

That was not the reaction Steve was going for. He tried for levity then. "Yes, actually. You kind of do." Steve smiled jokingly but Belov kept staring at him, not the least bit impressed.

"I'm sorry you wasted your time Mr. Tanner." Belov continued, not sorry at all. "I'm not interested in The Denver Club, even if you add your daughter Lauren to the mix. The only reason I'd consider going back to coaching, would be for The Rock. That club is the best I've seen in a decade.

Unfortunately they already have a coach, so I don't think we have anything left to talk about. Nothing you can offer me would make me change my mind." He turned around again then, going back to his favorite activity, ignoring him completely.

"Look, I can get rid of Marty and…" He tried one last time, a little desperate.

"No, Marty is an excellent coach and sending him away now would do more harm than good to those girls. They don't need me."

Steve raised both of his hands then, a clear sign of defeat. The man was impossible.

He turned around with the intent of going back to his car and drive back to the airport when his phone rang.

It was still pretty early so he had no idea who would call him. Lauren was at The Rock like everyone at this hour. He checked the caller ID: Alex Cruz.

He panicked for a moment. Why was Alex calling him? What if he had found where he was? Or something had happened to Lauren?

He breathed deeply then, trying to calm down and not jump to conclusions. "Yes Alex?" He answered with the calmest voice he could master.

"Steve, I'm sorry to bother you. I know you are with a client." Alex said from the other line. His tone was a strange mixed of worried and angry. He didn't seem angry with him though so he relaxed a little.

"Don't worry about it Alex. What is it? Lauren's okay, is she?" Steve asked then, worried for his daughter's wellbeing.

"Yes, don't worry. Your daughter is perfectly fine. It's not why I'm calling you." Steve relaxed completely at that. Whatever it was, her daughter was fine and that was all that mattered.

"You won't believe what I'm about to tell you. It seems that starting from today Marty is no longer The Rock's coach."

Steve couldn't believe what he just heard. "What? What's that supposed to mean, Marty's no longer The Rock's coach?" He repeated inarticulately. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Belov had suddenly become rigid and he wasn't moving, clearly listening to the conversation.

"Exactly what I said. He left, today. To go train in Denver. And not just him. Morgan Webster followed him. I bet all my money that Sheila's behind it all."

"It seems the most plausible explanation. It is something she could have done all right. How are the girls?"

"Like you can imagine. They're upset and confused. Not to say, very angry. And they're not the only ones. If I see Sheila or Marty around, I don't know if I'll be able to control myself. How could they do something like this? Sheila was the one who contacted Marty in the first place." Alex ranted, clearly furious about the entire situation.

Steve wasn't really paying attention to him though. _She beat me to the punch, that bitch_. He thought to himself. Of course, he didn't want Marty as her daughter's coach. He wanted the best in the business and that was the man right in front of him. _Well, since I can't convince Belov to train my daughter in Denver, I think I will be able to convince him to train her at The Rock with the other girls._ He decided then. It was better this way anyway. Lauren would be sad, away from her friends. Especially after what had happened to Kelly.

"What are we going to do now?" Alex interrupted his train of thoughts. "It's just 50 days until Nationals and we're suddenly left with no coach. It's a disaster."

"Listen Alex. Don't worry about it. I have already someone in mind who could replace Marty." He said then, looking at Belov. "You just try to keep your cool and everything will work out fine, you'll see. In the meantime, leave the girls' training to Darby. I know she's young, and a little too enthusiastic, but she worked alongside Marty for two years now. She's going to do just fine for a couple of days." Steve tried to calm Alex down.

"You're right. When are you going to come back in Boulder?"

"Tomorrow evening. And if everything go as planned, The Rock will get a new coach already starting from Saturday." Alex agreed and then hanged up.

Steve looked at Belov then, who had an unreadable expression on his face.

"That was Alex Cruz on the phone." Steve said unnecessarily. Belov knew already with whom he was talking to. "Seems you got your wish after all, Mr Belov. The Rock is now officially lacking a Head Coach. The position is yours if you still want it." Steve said smirking.


	3. Chapter 1 - New Acquaintances and Old Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the real Chapter 1. Parts of the dialogue are taken directly from the Pilot of PLL and partly are modified to fit the story. There are also some brief lines and references to the first book of the PLL series but blink and you'll miss it! I worked really hard on this so I really hope you'll like it!
> 
> Tricia Tanner is Lauren's older sister. She's three years older than her.
> 
> Summer and Steve are dating in this story like they were in Canon. The difference is that in my story Leslie Tanner and Summer Van Horne are sisters. (Van Horne is Leslie's maiden name). Summer works as a gym manager at the Rock like in Canon.
> 
> Just so you know, Kaylie is not homosexual like Emily is in PLL, she's bisexual.
> 
> Characters featured in this chapter in order of appearance: Lauren Tanner, Tricia Tanner(played by Tarah Paige), Brad Weston(played by Trent Garrett), Kaylie Cruz, Ronnie Cruz(played by Rosa Blasi), Jordan Randall(played by Chelsea Tavares), Emily Kmetko, Heather Whitmore(played by Tracey Fairaway), Payson Keeler, Sasha Belov and Kim Keeler(played by Peri Gilpin).
> 
> Characters mentioned in this chapter: Kelly Parker, Steve Tanner, Summer Van Horne (played by Candace Cameron Bure), Carter Anderson(played by Zachary Abel), Alex Cruz, Marty Walsh, Nicky Russo(played by Cody Longo), Chloe Kmetko (played by Susan Ward), Wendy Capshaw(played by Amanda Leighton).
> 
> BTW Every girl has a personal color:
> 
> Payson - Purple/Blue
> 
> Kaylie - Pink
> 
> Lauren - Orange
> 
> Emily - Green
> 
> (Kelly - Red)

** **

**Chapter 1**

**NEW ACQUAINTANCES AND OLD MEMORIES**

**_10 June 2011 - Friday Evening_ **

**_ _ **

**_ _ **

_"The secret to any regret_ _  
_ _is not to let it affect you but don't ever forget."_

**_(The Secret by Brandtson)_ **

Practice was over for the day. Lauren went outside, orange and white gym bag on one hand, and reached her silver Mercedes SLK. Her father wasn't back yet from his business meeting, so she was on her own for the time being.

Today had been better that she thought it would be. Of course everyone had felt Marty's absence but they had been able to train like it was any other day none then less. Darby was a good enough coach even if she had trouble being respected and listened to by the other gymnasts. Maybe because she wasn't strict like Marty was.

Still, she knew they couldn't go on like this for long. They needed someone who would take charge and call them on their crap if they mess up in any way. And Darby wasn't there just yet.

Of course they had fun with her but fun wasn't what they needed right now, not this close to Nationals.

She still couldn't believe Marty had left. She was so angry and hurt. And she knew she wasn't the only one. Emily and Kaylie felt the same. She knew that even if she hadn't talked with them about it. They trusted him and he had betrayed them. How could he do something like this?

Lauren got in the car, trying not to think too much about it. Alex Cruz or her father would find a solution soon enough, she just knew it.

She tried to think about her routines instead. They were coming up nicely, beam especially. Of course she was the best in the Country on beam so it wasn't such a novelty.

She was a little amazed with herself that she had been able to concentrate during practice, no matter what was going on.

That was something Kelly taught her, something she had taught all of them. The capacity to leave all of your problems out of the gym while you're inside it, even if they were gymnastics related like in that case. To think of nothing but your next move, your next pirouette, your next tumbling pass while you're executing your routines.

Of course now that she was outside all her troubles were still there waiting for her. But at least she could say she hadn't lost a day of training just because she was too distracted.

She didn't know what she was supposed to do now. Until two years ago she would have gone to the mall and done some shopping with one of her best friends. But she wasn't close to them anymore now and doing shopping on her own wasn't fun, at all.

She usually tried not to think about the past but sometimes she just couldn't help it. She missed that time, when the five of them were always together, training at the gym, dancing inside some club they had sneak in with a fake ID, at the house of one of them during a slumber party, at some high school party. But most of all she simply missed them, her best friends, and not just because all that she had really left in her life right now were her father and gymnastics.

Kelly was gone one year but she still couldn't help but hope that she would come back someday, grinning and saying that it was all a joke made just to scare them.

But she knew she wasn't coming back. Everybody knew it. Still, a thing was thinking it and another one was accept it.

Lauren tried to shake off those gloomy thoughts and, turning the key in the ignition, she came out of The Rock parking lot, ready to spend an evening watching boring TV shows.

Still, all the way home she couldn't shut off her brain and the only thing she could think about was Marty's betrayal. Because that was the way she saw it. Because she trusted him – all of them trusted him – to never leave and helping them in their way to the 2012 Olympics.

Instead he just left, without a warning or an explanation, for a club that – everyone knew it – wasn't worth half a single gymnast at The Rock. And it didn't matter that there was probably Sheila Baboyan behind it all. It didn't exist a single reason that was worth the fact that they were left without a coach 50 days before Nationals. It didn't matter that Darby had done a good job today, no matter how young or inexperienced she was. It didn't matter that, despite everything, everyone had been able to concentrate enough to train today.

None of it mattered because he had left them. And she was so damn angry with him – everyone was really – that she would probably punch him if he only dares to show his face in the gym again.

She wished Payson would come back. She was the most level headed among the five of them. The one ready to draw the line if one of them had too much to drink or ended up in trouble in some way. Not to say that she didn't know how to have fun, just that she was the most responsible one. And in a case like this she would have said something along the line of 'keep concentrating on your training, now it's not the time to get distracted. Everything will solve itself in time' or something like that. And she would have had such conviction in her tone that nobody would have had a problem believing it.

Lauren smiled to herself at that, and then frowned immediately after. She had been hurt when Payson had decided to leave Boulder, just three months after Kelly's disappearance. Of course she knew that her father had been hired as Managing Director in one of the offices oversea owned by the Company he worked with. And nobody would have given up a job opportunity such as that one.

But she had been disappointed none than less. Without Kelly and Payson it just hadn't been the same. And after a very short time, Lauren, Emily and Kaylie had just started to call each other and go out less and less. They had begun to see each other only at the gym and now, one year since Kelly's disappearance, they barely talked with each other.

Lauren huffed at that. It was her fault just as much as theirs and now it was too late to bring back things as they were.

She was finally home. She parked the car and then climbed the stairs that connected the garage with the inside of the house.

She decided to take a shower and change in something more comfortable than a leotard. She turned the faucet on and left the water cascading down her body. She was tired. And not just physically, because of today's practice, but in general. She just wanted things to return as they were. With Kelly alive and with them, with Payson still in Boulder and the five of them closer than ever.

No matter how she still loved gymnastics, it wasn't as fun as before. Nothing was as fun as it was before. She sighed, and then went out of the shower, changed in a red top and a pair of sweatpants and reached her bedroom, when she heard the front door open. Maybe her dad had come home earlier than expected.

But when she reached the living room, it wasn't her dad waiting for her. It was her sister, Tricia, with a guy she had never seen before. The boy in question was very handsome, with dark brown hair and brown eyes, high cheekbones and the body of a model, or an actor. He was probably twenty years old. He was probably her sister's new boyfriend. She frowned internally but she plastered a wide smile on her face for their guest's benefit.

"Tricia. It's so good to see you." She said, hugging her. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at Uni?"

"Hey Lo. We were supposed to be here this morning actually but they shifted my morning class at the last minute so here we are now. How was practice? Dad's not back yet? And Aunt Summer?"

"Practice was like usual. No, dad's not here yet. He's going to be back soon though. And Aunt Summer's still at the gym working I think. So who's your friend?"

Tricia smiled tightly at her, a clear warning before smiling sweetly at her new boy toy.

"This is Brad. Brad Weston. I met him on campus. He's studying to become a doctor. Brad, this is my little sister Lauren. She's a gymnast like I was. Of course she didn't win three Olympic medals like me but she's young after all. I'm sure she will be great soon enough." Lauren grinded her teeth at that but smiled flirtatiously at Brad.

"Well, future 'Dr. Weston', it's a pleasure to meet you." She took his warm hand in hers while looking at him through her eyelashes. The sensation of their hands intertwined send a hot shiver down her spine.

Tricia glared at her and took his arm possessively. Lauren smiled innocently at her and asked again to what was due her unexpected visit.

"Well, we have something to celebrate tomorrow, don't we?" Lauren smiled at her genuinely for the first time, happy she had remembered her birthday. "Why don't you go to the mall? Buy something nice for tomorrow evening? I heard that dad made reservations at 'Le Privilage', tomorrow at eight." Lauren smiled again, suddenly feeling guilty for her behavior. If Tricia had brought her new boyfriend 'to meet the family', so to say, it must be something serious.

This was new. Tricia wasn't the type to get serious with someone. She usually dated someone for a couple months and then dumped them, moving on to the next conquest. The only exception had been Carter. Best not to think about Carter though. The fact that she had brought him with her for a dinner whose only participants were she, Lauren and their father meant that she was serious this time. That she loved him.

Flirting with her sister's boyfriends was something she had always done to rile Tricia up but this time it was a little different. And for once Tricia was behaving like the sister she had always wanted to have.

Since Lauren could remember, Tricia had always behaved like she was better than her, perfect in a way that Lauren could never achieve. Lauren had felt that way only with Kelly, but with Kelly it was different, Kelly was her best friend. And anyway Kelly could make anyone feel that way; she was effortlessly perfect. She was just good at pretty much everything.

Tricia was different. Yes, she was certainly smart and she had been a good gymnast but Lauren was a better gymnast now than Tricia ever was. Lauren's DOD now was higher than the one Tricia had when she had gone to the Olympics. Lauren was just as smart as Tricia was, though she preferred to use her mind in a more devious way, something that Kelly had always appreciated about her. She was not smart like Payson was but _nobody_ was smart like Payson was, not even Kelly had been that smart. And Lauren was not less pretty that Tricia was. And yet, Tricia had always tried to make her feel like she was less than her at everything. And that was the reason why they had competed over pretty much everything since Lauren had been three and Tricia six. And when Lauren had become friends with Kelly, it had been even worse.

Lauren was determined not to fall into her usual patterns when it came to Tricia though, so she decided that – at least for a few days – she would try not to antagonize her sister...too much. And that meant, trying to stay away from her boyfriend unfortunately.

"You're absolutely right Tricia. Actually, I have already made plans to go this evening. You just gave me the perfect excuse." She excused herself then, going back to her room to get ready to go out and try to relax her nerves at the same time. She changed clothes quickly and left the house after a last wave towards them. It didn't matter what had happened with Carter. She had no intention of repeating the same mistake with Brad.

* * *

_ _

_ _

_"This very secret_ _  
_ _That you're trying to conceal_ _  
_ _Is the very same one_ _  
_ _That you're dying to reveal"_

**_(Secret Heart by Feist)_ **

Kaylie had finished practice about two hours ago and was now sitting at the living room table, the voices coming from the television just sounds in the background. She was trying to study algebra but she just couldn't seem to concentrate. Her father had told her yesterday morning about Coach Marty's sudden decision to leave The Rock and everyone else in it. She still couldn't believe it. What they were supposed to do now? They were left without a coach just less than two months away from Nationals. Darby had been able to control the situation and they had been able to practice more or less like every other day but just like everybody else, she knew that she wasn't yet to ready to coach elite gymnasts, especially this close to Nationals. They needed a real coach and soon.

"Honey, are you okay?" Her mother's voice distracted her from her thoughts and she turned in her direction.

"Not really." She answered with a grimace.

"I know that right now it seems impossible to believe, but everything will be okay. Steve assured your father that he has already found Marty's replacement. You'll have a new coach in no time at all, don't worry." Her mother tried to reassure her.

"It's not just that mom. How could he do this? How could he leave us without any explanation?" Kaylie shouted angrily.

"I don't know honey. Nobody can really explain it. But he's gone, you have to accept it and move on. You can't let something like that distracting you from gymnastics. Nationals are just around the corner."

Kaylie sighed. Why every time she tried to talk to her parents, all they were able to say was that she needed to concentrate? She knew that. Of course she knew. That didn't mean that she wasn't entitled to be upset about something like this though.

Her mother disappeared a moment to go to the kitchen and reappeared a moment later with a basket in her hand.

"I was going to drop this basket off at the Parkers' house today. Maybe you want to do it instead? I think another girl your age just moved in." It was an obvious way for her mother to distract her but Kaylie grimaced at that.

"I can't believe Kelly's parents sold the house." Kaylie commented aloud.

"Just too many memories for the Parkers. I can't even imagine."

"It's just so weird, thinking of other people living in Kelly's house."

"I know honey." Her mother hesitated a little and then said. "Maybe I should go there myself. It would probably upset you too much."

"No mom, it's fine. I'll do it." Kaylie got up and took the basket from her mother's hands. She retrieved her jacket from the coat rack and went outside. She reached her white BMW Z4 from the garage and drove until she found herself in front of Kelly's house, the one her parents had bought just five years ago when they came to live in Boulder shortly before The Rock opened for the first time.

She noticed a freight truck just in front of it and scattered just in front of the gate were numerous boxes full of Kelly's things. With a sudden lump in her throat she approached the house, the basket still in her left hand.

She noticed an old medal between the various books and notebooks inside one of the boxes and she couldn't help herself. She grabbed it with her free hand, trembling slightly. She still couldn't believe she was gone. One moment she had been there with them and the next she just wasn't. How was it possible for people to disappear just like that?

"Do you want that?" Kaylie raised her head and she suddenly found herself face to face with the obvious new owner of the house. Her mother was right, the girl in front of her was probably the same age as her. Very pretty, with long, curly dark hair, warm brown eyes and bronze flawless skin. She was not overly tall but she was thin. She kind of had the body of a gymnast actually. "I'm Jordan Randall, aka new girl." Her smile was beautiful, with straight white teeth. Kaylie smiled at her, an unexpected blush covering her cheeks.

"I'm Kaylie. Welcome to the neighborhood." She handed her the basket her mom had given her and Jordan took it, their hands brushing slightly against each other.

"Hum, foiegras and chornichons. My favorites." Jordan said, slightly sarcastic.

"It's from my mom. She's the unofficial Welcome Wagon lady here in Boulder."

"I figured. So, if you want some of this stuff, it's yours. It was in my room and I don't know what to do with it."

"It all belongs to Kelly."

"Is she a friend of yours?" Jordan asked her curiously.

Kaylie sighed, not really in the mood to talk about Kelly to some stranger. "She was. A long time ago."

"Why? What happened?" Jordan inquired farther.

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. I was just curious."

"It's okay... There were five of us. We used to hang out together but we don't anymore."

"Oh. Listen, would it be outrageous of me to ask you to help me carry the rest of these boxes up to my room?" Jordan looked at her with big, pleadingly eyes.

Kaylie looked at her strangely. "Yes." She exclaimed a little too forcefully. Jordan kept looking at her pleadingly and Kaylie relented. She smiled. "But I don't mind."

Together they made their way inside the house, two boxes each in their arms.

"So why aren't you still friend with the girl who lived here?" Jordan asked again.

"You ask a lot of questions." Kaylie answered a little irritated.

"You're right, I'm sorry. But how else I'm supposed to get to know you?"

"There you go. Another question." She said absently.

They had reached Jordan's bedroom, the same bedroom where Kelly used to sleep. Kaylie sighed, looking around her. It was more difficult that she thought it would be, being here again but without Kelly in it. She felt woozy all of a sudden and leaned against the wall for support.

"Put it anywhere." Jordan said. Kaylie rallied herself to stand, set her boxes down at the foot of the bed, and looked around.

"Fine. Your turn. Ask me anything." Jordan said with an apologetic shrug. Kaylie looked at the bedroom, noticing the various additions in it compared to how she remembered it, obviously courtesy of Jordan. She spotted a photo of a guy on the nightstand and asked, "is this your boyfriend?"

"Yeah. His name's Adam."

"He's cute." Kaylie commented just to say something. She was feeling a little awkward around her and it wasn't just because Jordan asked too many questions or because she was standing in Kelly's old bedroom.

"That he is. But he's also 3000 miles away." Jordan shrugged again.

"My boyfriend's name is Nicky. Even if technically I'm not supposed to have a boyfriend."

"Why?" Jordan asked her with her head titled slightly.

"I'm an elite gymnast and so is he. We're not allowed to have relationships. Our coach says that it's just a distraction. Or he used to since he's not my coach anymore." Kaylie explained. She didn't mean to reveal so much about her but it was like her mouth was running ahead of her.

"Oh, wow. You're Kaylie Cruz. I saw you on TV, you're really good." Kaylie smiled at that. "Well, you won't believe it but I'm a gymnast too."

"What?" Kaylie asked surprised.

"Yeah. This guy, this coach guy, saw me one day doing gymnastics at the public gym I used to go and he said I had enough potential to train as an elite gymnast. So here I am. Unbelievable hum?"

Kaylie looked at her surprised. "Wow. That's pretty amazing. You must be pretty good."

Jordan shrugged at that. "I guess."

"But wait, this coach, who was it?" Kaylie asked her with a sinking feeling.

"Marty Walsh. Why?"

"Because he left the gym just yesterday. We're without a head coach for the moment."

"What? Are you kidding me? My family and I moved here from Boston just for me to train at the Rock."

"Don't worry. My father told me that the new coach is on his way. I'm sure he won't have any problem with you training at The Rock. You're part of the team now."

"Oh, okay. I hope so." Jordan was visibly relieved at that.

There was a moment of silence that was immediately filled by Jordan. "So, do you think my future coach would kill me if I'd smoke a little weed?"

Kaylie looked at her surprised. "You want to smoke now?"

"I won't if you don't want me to."

"No, it's not that. But...hum...first, where are your parents?" Kaylie asked looking around her, almost as if she was expecting to see them pop up out of nowhere from behind the wardrobe or from under the bed.

"Relax. They're out." Jordan pulled out a clear plastic bag from inside the nightstand drawer obviously filled with weed and began preparing the joint.

"Wait, no. You can't. It would appear in the blood tests we do before every competition." Kaylie exclaimed a little desperately.

"What? Are you kidding me? I can't smoke a little weed now? Damn, this sucks." Jordan complained, pouting a little. Kaylie couldn't help but notice that it was a really cute expression on her face.

"I'm sorry." Kaylie shrugged.

They talked some more but then Kaylie realized how much time had passed – it was almost time for dinner – and she told Jordan she needed to go.

"Oh." She sounded disappointed. "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow at The Rock then?"

"Sure." Kaylie smiled at her and Jordan smiled back. "I presume you know how to find the way out?"

"Yes, of course."

"Okay then. See you tomorrow then Kaylie." Kaylie waved at her and after a last look at Kelly's bedroom – Jordan's bedroom now – she descended the stairs and went outside. She noticed with surprise that she wasn't as upset as before that someone was living in Kelly's old house. Now Jordan lived there. And Kaylie was happy that she did.

* * *

_ _

_ _

_"The perfect shoes with matching clothes_ _  
_ _it is the lie we're always told_ _  
_ _but nothing masks the shallow touch_ _  
_ _by saying words that cost so much"_

**_(The Terrible Secret by Emery)_ **

Once out of the gym, Emily drove all the way to the nearest playground and sat on a swing, taking off her shoes and scraping her feet in the sand. Every time she needed time to think, she went to a playground, since she was little. She remembered that the first time her mother brought her in a playground for the first time, when she was just three years old, instead of getting on a swing like every other kid her age, she went straight for the high bar, beginning to swing with her arms similar to what she does now on the uneven bars in the gym. It was for this very reason that her mother had decided to enroll her in a gym and that was how her love for gymnastics was born.

That was why today she had decided to go there. The Boulder playground was often deserted in the late afternoons and evenings and she really needed a quiet place to think today. After all, she had a lot to think about.

And, truth to be told, she wasn't ready to go home yet. She wasn't ready to face her mother and listen to her saying that everything was going to work out fine. Because there was nothing fine about the entire situation. How could he do this? What kind of coach leaves his team seven weeks before Nationals?

God, she was so furious. But most of all she felt betrayed. He swore that he would never leave. And what did he do? The exact opposite.

She thought he was different, that she could rely on him. She thought that, no matter what other men in her life did, he would not leave. But she was wrong once again. Men always leave. Or at least, they leave _her_.

First her father, then _he-who-will-not-be-named_ , then her stepfather and now her coach. So much had changed in the last year, with Kelly's disappearance only being the tip of the iceberg. Of course not everything had changed for the worse. Some things were good, like her makeover or her friendship with Heather but sometimes she couldn't help but think about the past and the friendship she used to have with Kelly, Payson, Kaylie and Lauren.

But Kelly was gone – she couldn't bring herself to say 'dead' – and Payson was in England, nor was she still friends with either Kaylie or Lauren.

She didn't even know how they got to that point. They had just begun to drift away from each other, and then one day she had woken up and realized that she hadn't talked to her best friends in months.

Emily sighed then. She missed them, of course. Thinking that they were so different from each other, personality wise, and yet they were so close once. But she guessed that that was life, people drifted apart, stopped being close.

She sighed again, going from furious to sad in less than a minute. She began swinging, raising her legs and going higher and higher. She threw her head back, seeing everything around her upside down. She stopped suddenly then, using her feet to slow down the swing and looked at the sky. It was still early, maybe she could convince Heather to go the mall. She needed to distract herself, badly.

She got up and returned to her car, a red Alfa Romeo 4C. She retrieved her phone from her green and black gym bag that she had left on the passenger seat and called Heather.

After three rings her bubbly best friend answered. "Hey Heather, you're free now? How do you feel about some shopping?" Her friend was on board immediately so they decided to meet at the entrance of the Boulder Mall.

Fifteen minutes later they were inside and sitting around a table, sipping from their cold drinks.

"I can't believe Marty is gone. I mean, who would have thought he would do something like this? I'm so angry, aren't you angry?" Heather was saying in her usual fast-talking way.

"Of course I am, but I don't want to think about it now. How about we do something fun?" Emily asked with a slight smirk.

"Like?" Heather asked, obviously intrigued.

"How about a dare? We have to steal something from here and get out with that something still on us, in plain view. We have...hum...one hour and a half of time to do this. So, you in?"

"Of course." Heather smiled at her, excited. It was something they often did, stealing from shops. At first it was little things, like lipsticks or nail polishes but they had become more daring as time went by.

Emily wanted a pair of sunglasses, maybe a pair of Gucci or Ralph Lauren so she headed towards the specific glass counter where a dark-haired guy of twenty-three, maybe twenty-four years old was working. Heather headed instead towards the part of the shop where they sold scarves.

Emily flirted a little with the guy – thing she had perfected in the last year – and convinced him to pull out of the counter various pairs of sunglasses for her to try on. After a good twenty minutes, she asked to try yet another one but this time the guy protested a little. "I have to put some of these back."

Emily smiled flirtly at him and answered. "But they're all maybe."

The guy smiled at her – obviously a little smitten – and gave her the desired pair of sunglasses. "Thank you."

"Hey, is this me?" Heather called from behind her. She was wearing a striped blue and white scarf that didn't look particularly good on her.

Emily watched her critically before asking rhetorically "Or is it a little too much your...mother?"

Heather looked at herself in the mirror, horrified. Emily smiled amused. Heather immediately took off the scarf and went back to find another one.

The clerk waited patiently for Emily to turn back to him. Finally, she did. He handed her the Gucci glasses and she tried them on, looking at herself in the mirror. They looked good on her and they were one of the priciest pair. She immediately decided to go for this one pair; they were perfect.

"I am loving those glasses. How much?" Heather asked her once she was back with another scarf, this one blood red.

"Three fifty." Emily answered with a smirk. She looked a moment past Heather and saw Lauren perusing the women's fashions on the upper floor. As Heather turned her attention to a yellow scarf, Emily turned to the clerk "I'll be right back." She said with a sweet smile, the sunglasses still on her.

She turned around and put the sunglasses on her head. She reached the upper floor and called aloud. "Lauren Tanner looking for new clothes. Why am I not surprised?" She smirked at her.

Lauren smiled and shrugged. "You know me, every occasion is the perfect excuse for me to buy a new dress or a new pair of shoes." Lauren hesitated a little than added. "Did you see the papers today?" her tone suddenly serious.

Emily stopped smiling and nodded with her head. "Yeah"

"She's gone but she's everywhere."

Emily looked at her and added, "I can't believe it's already been an year."

Lauren smiled sadly at her. "Do you remember what Kelly used to say? About our secrets keeping us close? I think it was the opposite."

There was a moment of contemplative silence but then Emily smiled and changed the subject. "So, let me guess... your father has reserved a table at 'Le Privilage' for your birthday."

Lauren smiled at her "You know my father, he has to follow tradition. And of course Tricia is taking advantage of the fact that we will be together in the same room for once to introduce us to her new boyfriend. I already met him."

Emily widened her eyes dramatically and asked, "Did the Miss Perfect find her Mr. Perfect finally?"

"Only time will tell I guess." Lauren answered drily.

They walked together towards the pay desk. "He's a med student. A future doctor. Dad will be trilled, I'm sure." Lauren commented sarcastically.

"Hum, and you already met him right? So, how is he? Is he hot?"

"Yeah. He's really hot." They giggled together slightly.

"Then that's not the right top." Emily said, pointing to the simple, white, short-sleeved blouse that Lauren was about to buy. "You need to turn heads."

Lauren raised an eyebrow in Emily's direction, obviously skeptic. "And away from Tricia? Please! And I'm trying to be good anyway."

"Come on Lo, you can't be serious. She doesn't always have to win!" Emily searched among the various tops, one that was more Lauren's style. She found a cute yellow top with a slight neckline that would be perfect for her. "Here. This will be perfect."

Lauren smiled at her, convinced, and took the top from her hand.

"See you tomorrow at practice." Emily said, waving her hand.

"See you." Lauren answered before Emily left her side and made her way downstairs.

She headed towards the exit and was almost outside when she heard a voice calling her. "Miss! Miss!" She froze in her steps and turned around. It was the mall security guard. "Miss! You forgot your bag!"

Emily smiled in relief and said sweetly "Thank You." She took the bag and turned around again.

Heather had reached her side in the meantime. "I so thought you were busted." she commented in her usual slightly high-pitched voice.

"So did I." Emily said then added, looking at her. "Nice scarf."

Heather smirked smugly and said in return "Nice glasses".

Together they made their way out of the mall, Emily still feeling the usual thrill, the adrenalin that made her feel alive when she stole from shops. She loved that feeling. It was similar and at the same time different from the one she got during a routine on bars. Well, at least her day had improved somewhat. She smirked again.

* * *

_ _

_ _

_"Your secret's safe_ _  
_ _And no one has to know I'm your getaway"_

**_(Can you keep a secret by The Cab)_ **

Payson looked at herself in the mirror, moving from left to right and back again, letting the short black dress she was wearing descend gently down her thighs, her smooth golden tanned legs accentuated by the black high-heeled sandals her feet were enclosed in, gifting her with a few inches. She was taller than most gymnasts but still shorter than most girls her age. An unfortunate trait shared by gymnasts all over the world.

She was wearing little make up, just lip-gloss, mascara, eyeliner and a veil of blush. Her long blond hair were loose, cascading down her shoulders in soft waves. She could pass for twenty-two, twenty-three years old and that was exactly the look she was going for.

She smiled to herself and then looked behind her through the mirror, at her bedroom still stacked full of boxes, her mind elsewhere. It was really strange to be back there, after one year, in the town where one of her best friends disappeared. It was hard to face. All the memories that she had pushed away, during her stay in England, were resurfacing all at once.

She was scared. Scared of going back at The Rock, of seeing her old friends again after having completely shut them out of her life. She hadn't tried to contact them once since her move, not sure what to say to them. It was ironic that while Kelly was still there with them, they were never short of things to say and after her disappearance they just didn't know how to talk with each other anymore.

It all came back to her, Kelly Parker, the girl who was perfect in everything she did. From her school grades to her gymnastics. The girl who won the title of National Champion her first year as a senior elite.

Being friends with Kelly Parker was something that most would have considered a privilege but it wasn't always as great as it seemed. Kelly wasn't always the sweet, charming girl that she appeared to be on camera. She had a manipulative and mean side that she showed only with the people closest to her. Or with her enemies.

The face of Wendy Capshaw appeared, unwanted, in Payson's mind but she pushed it away with force. Best not to think about Wendy.

Kelly could be very cruel when she wanted to and sometimes Payson couldn't help but being scared of her just a little. And of course there was also the fact that Payson had always been very competitive and being best friend with a seemingly perfect girl, had often caused Payson to feel insecure, sentiment that she didn't like at all, not when it came to her gymnastics at least.

Because Payson had once been insecure when it came to the 'feminine' part of her. She had been the kind of girl who had always felt out of place and ugly near girls like Kaylie, Kelly or Emily. Like the Incredible Hulk among perfect princesses. It was the reason why until one year ago she had never put on makeup, never wore a dress or let her hair loose. So at the time she used to play the part of the girl focused mostly on gymnastics and her grades. The girl who didn't care about being seen as a 'girl', just as a 'gymnast'. But Kelly had always known the truth of course and had often used it against her.

Of course now everything was different for her. In London she had finally found herself. Since she moved to England she had become a little more daring. She liked, she had to admit, not always being the goody-two-shoes Payson Keeler that everyone thought she was. She felt more comfortable with herself, surer of her beauty and grace and that shone through even on her gymnastic routines. In the last year she had completely changed her gymnastics style. While before she was more of a power gymnast, now she was more of a mix. She had in fact started to take ballet lessons – thanks to the advice of the coach who had trained her there – and that completely transformed her style of gymnastics. While before her specialty had been bars, now not even Kaylie – who had been the best in that category after Kelly until one year ago – could hope to beat her on floor.

Her thoughts went back to her friends then. The friends she had left behind when her parents had decided to move to London. She wasn't ready to face them yet, nor was she ready to go back to The Rock. Best to wait until tomorrow.

It was the reason why she had decided to go out that evening. A little bit of fun was just what she needed to distract herself.

There was also the little fact that she had been out of competition for one year and that tomorrow would be her big come back. Being out of her own Country for almost an year kind of forced her to give up competing for awhile but she had kept on training and she was back now, ready to win at this year Nationals.

Her mother's voice from downstairs roused her from her thoughts and with one last look at the mirror, she took the leather jacket and bag from her bed where she had placed them and she ran down the stairs.

"And where do you think you're going young lady?" Her mother stopped her in her tracks, her voice stern.

"I'm going out mom. I think I'll take the car and go around Denver for a while, maybe I'll do some shopping or something. I need to go out of the house and out of this town for a few hours…"

Kim's expression softened instantly at those words. "You're thinking about Kelly, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but not only about her. I was thinking also about the Rock and Emily, Lauren and Kaylie…" Payson answered a bit dejected.

"You should call them. A friendship like yours doesn't disappear just because you moved in another Country…" Her mother tried to convince her but Payson shook her head.

"No, I'll just wait until tomorrow okay? I'm not ready to see them or call them yet."

"Okay honey. Be careful and don't be out late."

Payson laughed. "I'm always careful mom," she answered before leaving, reaching her black Porsche Boxster that was parked in the alleyway, a gift from her dad, probably to buy her silence now that they were back in Colorado.

She wanted to have fun just for one night and absolutely not think about Kelly's disappearance. She would go back to real life tomorrow.

She remembered seeing a little English pub while passing on the way back from the airport, near the Denver University campus. Without thinking too much about it, she decided to go there. It would give her the impression of still being in England.

One hour drive and then she was parking in front of "The Red Lion". There weren't many people inside, maybe it was still early.

She entered and went straight to the counter. "Guinness." She said to the dark-haired bartender. She didn't drink often but today she really needed to get loose a little bit.

"Coming right up." The bartender answered, winking at her. He didn't even ask for an ID.

Payson smiled to herself and then frowned slightly. That was something that Kelly would be proud of.

Payson shook her head then. She had to stop thinking about her. She was just torturing herself.

She took a sip of the beer that the young bartender brought her, trying to stop thinking and enjoy her last free night. She turned her head and suddenly noticed a poster attached to the wall on her right. It was of Kelly. "Still Missing" It read immediately below the photo.

Payson frowned. Another reminder of her disappearance right in front of her eyes.

"Everything all right down there?" She heard a British voice asking her.

Payson turned to her right. There was a blonde, very handsome man sitting two seats from where she was, sipping something that was probably whisky. How could she have missed him while entering the pub?

"Yeah, I just forgot how beer tastes like here. Beer's tastes better in Europe." Payson half-lied. The beer tasted bland and she wasn't lying when she said that it tasted better in Europe, but it wasn't, of course, the reason why she was frowning.

"You've lived in Europe? Where, if I may ask?" He was looking at her curiously, his intense blue eyes studying her intently.

 _Wow, he's really hot_. Payson thought, swooning just a little. _And kind of familiar_. She mentally frowned soon after. She was pretty sure she had seen him before today but where?

"London." She answered with a little smirk.

"Really?" He smiled then. "I'm sure you haven't noticed but I'm from England." He joked then.

"Oh no, I couldn't say. Your accent wasn't a dead giveaway. Not at all." She said, imitating his thick accent.

The man laughed at that, obviously amused by Payson's answer.

"I'm Sasha by the way." He said then, moving up to the chair beside hers.

"Payson. Nice to meet you Sasha." She shook his warm, calloused hand in hers, feeling a shiver go down her spine.

"So, London hum? It was your year abroad?" Payson was about to shake her head, but then stopped. How could she explain to a complete stranger the reason why she had run away from the USA altogether? It was pretty obvious why he had come to that conclusion. Most people in this pub were college students, since it was so close to Campus.

"Yeah, it was my year abroad. I've just come back today. And you? What are you doing here in Denver?" _Let him think what he wanted._

"I just arrived today too. I've accepted a job here, actually, and I'm starting tomorrow. So, what's your major?"

"Hum, I'm leaning towards physiotherapy?" She said slightly questioning. She wasn't exactly lying. Back in England she had attended some college courses and once finished her gymnastic career, she'd like to become a physiotherapist. She was far from being a college student though. But he didn't need to know that.

"Wow, I'm impressed." His tone confirming his words. "It's a pretty hard subject."

"Yeah, but I liked it. And it's the best way to stay close to the sport I love."

"Which sport?" Sasha asked her, even more intrigued.

"Gymnastics," she answered a little hesitantly. She really hoped she wasn't giving too much away.

"Really? You love gymnastics? The job I was talking about? It's a coaching job. Elite gymnasts."

And then something just clicked in Payson's mind. How did she not recognize him sooner? "Wait a minute. By any chance, is your last name Belov?"

"You caught me!" Sasha smirked at her then.

"Oh my god, I can't believe I didn't recognize you sooner. I'm such an idiot."

"So you heard about me?" he asked her a little smugly.

"I'm sure this is going to inflate your ego even more. But when I was younger I had a huge crush on you."

"And now?" Sasha asked her, smiling. He gently laid a hand on her knee, getting close to her. Payson's mouth was suddenly dry, her beating heart going a mile a minute. Sasha Belov was flirting with her, she couldn't believe it. The little girl she was giggling and dancing in happiness inside her mind.

She tried to play it cool. "I grew out of it."

Sasha frowned disappointed and he was going to move his hand away from her knee but she stopped it there with her hand. She looked him in the eye, trying to make him understand that she wasn't immune to his charm now that she was older.

Sasha smiled then, relieved.

A song was playing on the background, one of her favorite songs. 'Still Loving You' by Scorpions. She blamed her father for her taste in music. Of course she listened to the current music but she had a special appreciation for the music of the 80's.

"God, I love this song!" She murmured to herself.

Sasha had obviously heard her though because he answered "B26". Payson smiled at him then.

"So… you're smart, you're beautiful, you traveled, great taste in music…I'd like to know more about you."

"Yeah, I'd like to know more about you too." She answered with a little flirtatious smile.

Payson counted to three then. She smiled, maybe a little shakily because she had to admit, she was more than a little nervous, then continued. "I have to go to the bathroom." She looked at him, trying to make him understand what she was implying and then she walked across the bar until she reached the bathroom's door. It was unisex, perfect. She only hoped Sasha had understood her silent message.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked okay even if a little flushed.

Five minutes later, she was beginning to get worried. He hadn't showed up yet. Maybe he had changed his mind or he had simply not understood what she was trying to say.

Then he appeared, running a hand through his hair nervously.

"Oh thank god! I thought you didn't catch my meaning out there."

"I wasn't sure if that was what you meant." He smiled then, the cocky attitude from before beginning to appear again. He turned around, locked the bathroom door and then reached her in two long strides before kissing her passionately.

Payson responded in kind, folding her arms around his neck. He was tall and she had to stand on tiptoes to reach him but she wasn't complaining. She had never been kissed like that. The boys she had kissed before – and in the last year they had been a few – couldn't hold a candle to the way he was expertly exploring her mouth. His tongue caressed her lower lip gently and she opened her mouth, more than ready to welcome him inside. He tasted of whisky and even if she never liked the drink before, she couldn't think of a better taste right now.

He grabbed her hips then, lifting her effortlessly on the sink and she wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing him closer to her.

They withdrew from each other soon after, gulping in long gasps of air.

"I don't do this often." She said to him then, trying to catch her breath. "Making out with strangers in a bathroom I mean."

"I never thought you did. I consider myself pretty lucky that you decided to make an exception."

Payson smiled shyly at him and reached for him again. She moved her hands to touch his shoulders and then lower, touching the skin of his back under his grey shirt, caressing the muscles and making him moan slightly in her mouth.

Sasha begun to kiss her neck and she brought her head back, giving him space. Her legs brought him even closer to her until their fronts were touching, her breasts pressed against his hard muscled chest. One of his hands made his way through her hair while the other caressed the skin of her thigh.

She could feel him hard against her and she moved her hips up and down, making him groan. Her breath was coming in ragged gasps, a hot, pleasurable sensation making its way inside her belly.

His left hand moved from her hair and caressed her shoulder before lowering the strap of her dress. He kissed her shoulder and then lower still, until he touched her bra with his lips. She brought his head back to her, kissing him passionately once again when suddenly her phone began to ring and she groaned.

"Ignore it!" Sasha whispered against her lips.

"I can't." She reached blindly from her bag and searched inside for her cell phone. It was her mother.

She answered, distancing herself from him slightly, an apologetic look on her face. "Hello? Yes, okay. I'll be right back. Bye!"

"You have to go." Sasha said defeated.

"Sorry!" she apologized, disappointed as much as him that her mother had interrupted them.

"Can I see you again?" Payson smiled widely at that then took a pen from her bag and wrote her number on the palm of his hand. "Call me okay?"

She kissed him one more time before running away to her car. She kept on smiling all the way to Boulder.


	4. Chapter 2 - Messages from No one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the new chapter, I really hope you like it. It's divided into four parts, each one from one of the girls' POV. I plan on continue writing the next chapters with the same pattern while the chapters from other characters' POV will be Interludes and not real chapters.  
> Sorry for the wait but I hope the length of it makes up for it somehow. Tell me what you think! And thanks to everyone who read my story, whoever commented and/or left kudos. I really hope you're still with me!  
> In this story Brian is not Emily's brother but Payson's so he's called Brian Keeler and not Brian Kmetko and he's not in a wheelchair either.
> 
> P.S. Some of the lines in this chapter are taken directly from the Pilot episode of 'Pretty Little Liars' and the episode from 'Make it or Break it': 'Blowing Off Steam'.
> 
> Characters featured in this chapter in order of appearance: Payson Keeler, Mark Keeler, Kim Keeler, Kelly Parker, Kaylie Cruz, Max Spencer, Alex Cruz, Steve Tanner, Sasha Belov, Emily Kmetko, Heather Whitmore, Jordan Randall, Lauren Tanner, Chloe Kmetko and Brad Weston.
> 
> Characters mentioned in this chapter: Brian Keeler, Nicky Russo, Doctor Walker Barnett(played by Gus Buktenica), Leo Parker, Detective Joe Dalton(played by Brad Rowe), Carter Anderson, Razor(played by Nico Tortorella) and Tricia Tanner.

** **

** Chapter 2 **

** MESSAGES FROM NO ONE **

**11 JUNE 2011 – Saturday Morning**

_"Why when we do our darkest deeds_

_Do we tell?_

_They burn in our brains_

_Become a living hell"_

_(The Pierces Secret)_

_ _

_ _

 

Payson woke up bright and early the next morning. Today she would go back to The Rock and she was more than a little nervous. Going back there, seeing her old friends again but without Kelly… she shook her head.

'Don't think about it. She's gone. You need to accept it.'

The only bright spot in being back in Colorado was her meeting with Sasha. She couldn't stop thinking about him, their kisses, the way he was holding her… it was amazing. And even better he had send her a SMS after dinner: "I miss you already. I hope to see you soon. Goodnight, Sasha". She really hoped they could organize a date soon, she wanted to spend time with him, get to know him. She had never felt a connection like this with anyone before. She didn't want to lose that.

She reached the kitchen and after having drunk her morning coffee, she was ready to face the world. It was still early and her mum wasn't up yet. She decided therefore to go for a run to pass the time. After having put on a pair of shorts and a tshirt, she was about to go outside when she spotted her father going down the stairs and she froze. "Payson..." He began hesitantly. Payson looked at him, suddenly nauseous. "Don't worry Dad, I'm still keeping your secret." She told him coldly.

While in England she had tried to forget what she had found out about him, pretending it had never happened. After all they had put an ocean of distance away from his crimes, her father had solved the problem he had caused and everything was technically okay. But now, being back here, everything was rushing back to the surface. The disappointment for what her father had done, the sorrow and the guilt she felt towards her mother because she was lying to her since she had promised her father that she wouldn't say anything. It was awful.

"I just wanted to ask you how you were. Being back here must be difficult after what happened." Suddenly her father's voice brought her out of her thoughts. He was looking at her with an evident look of disappointment on his face. Payson sighed. "No, it's not easy. But what can I do? We're here now, aren't we?"

"Payson please...I thought you and I were okay..." Her father pleaded.

Payson shook her head "I don't think you realize what you've done, not really. I think you are just sorry that I caught you..."

"No, no. It's not like that..." He didn't sound so sure of his words though.

"Really? So that's why you decided to return the money to your clients only after I found out about the scheme..."

"Payson, keep your voice down..." Mark said in a whisper, looking around him, afraid her mother would appear out of nowhere.

"Dad, you defraud your clients hundred thousands dollars...and you almost bankrupted us to cover your debts. You took five hundred thousand dollars out of my back account. Don't you think mum should know about this?"

"No. I don't think so. Everything is solved now. I paid the investors back with the money I owned them and with the promotion I got, I'm slowly putting back the money I took from your account".

Payson looked at him astonished because for the first time she realized that her father didn't really care about the fact that he broke the law, he only cared about the fact that he had to use his own money to cover for a debt he, in the first place, had caused.

"You don't care, do you?...What would have happened if I had never found out about the Ponzi Scheme? You would have continued to defraud the people that trusted you with their money? You're such an hypocrite. You always preach about honesty and justice but really, you're just a fraud. You make me sick"

She didn't wait for him to defend himself, she just rushed outside, her sneakers' covered feet clashing against the ground, the fresh morning air caressing her face.

Her mind returned to a conversation she had had with Kelly not long after she had found out what her father had done, not even a month before her disappearance.

_"What do you intend to do?" Kelly had said to her while locked up in Payson's room and alone in the house._

_"What do you mean?" Payson had asked her, not understanding._

_"Your father is basically a con man. You need to tell your mother about it...and the police"_

_"What?" Payson had shouted in anger and disbelief "He's my father and you want me to what? Report him to the police?"_

_"I know he's your father Payson but what he has done is wrong and illegal and he shouldn't get away with it"_

_"Do you even realize what you're saying? Our family could lose everything and my father could end up in jail. And a scandal like this could ruin forever my chance at the Olympics..."_

_Kelly sighed. "I know Payson. But it's the right thing to do. And if you won't do it, I will"_

_Payson glared at her in anger and almost hatred "Why are you doing this to me? You're my friend."_

_"It's because I'm your friend that I want you to do the right thing"._

She returned to the present when she found herself in the trail that crossed the only public park present in Boulder and she noticed in that instant a familiar figure running in the opposite direction. It was Kaylie.

When they were three feet away from each other, Kaylie finally noticed her and stopped abruptly.

"Payson? Is that you?" Kaylie asked, widening her eyes.

"Hey Kaylie!" Payson greeted her, a little awkwardly.

"Oh my god." Kaylie went up to hug her quickly before releasing her soon after. "When did you get back? I almost didn't recognize you. Didn't you have dark hair the last time we saw each other?"

"Yeah but I decided to go back to my natural color. I arrived just yesterday evening by the way. How are you?"

"Oh I'm fine. You should have called. It's a little weird, running into you here."

"We kind of lost touch Kaylie, remember?" Payson said a little sadly, shrugging her shoulders.

"Right." They exchanged another awkward look then Payson broke the silence."I saw a poster of Kelly yesterday..." she began but she didn't know how to continue her sentence.

"Yeah. It's awful, what happened to her. I mean, we all know she's dead right?" Kaylie exclaimed with a sad expression on her face.

Payson looked at her, a little surprised by her bluntness, but nodded. "I've just never heard anyone saying it before."

Kaylie smiled a sad, little smile and then asked her: "So, how was England? Everything you thought it would be?"

Payson smiled for real at that. "Yeah. London is… amazing. What about The Rock? What have I missed?"

Kaylie frowned at that and immediately told her about Marty's sudden decision to leave The Rock. "Not the best time to come back here Payson, I have to tell you."

"Wow. I can't believe it. And Lauren and Emily? I can just imagine their reactions."

"Hum… I actually don't know." Payson looked at her questioningly and Kaylie explained further. "We didn't just fall out of touch with you Payson. We all fell out of touch with each other. I mean, we see each other every day during training but…"

"So you're friendly but not friends."

"Yeah." Kaylie shrugged, an expression that looked almost like guilt painted on her face.

Payson nodded at that. Already when she had left Boulder, they had started to drift away from each other, she couldn't really say she was surprised to hear it.

"I bet that if you see Emily outside practice you won't recognize her." Kaylie continued.

"Why?" Payson asked curiously, a slight frown on her face.

"Well, her hair are longer, she wears make up and she dress fashionably. She and Heather are best friends now, besides having become the It Girls of The Rock." Kaylie said, putting emphasis on the two words that were used to describe the five of them together.

"Heather? Heather Whitmore?" Payson asked surprised. "That geeky girl who used to follow us around?"

"Yep. Except that now she's the farthest from geeky you can imagine."

"Wow. Talking about a makeover...".

After chatting some more, they continued on their morning run, knowing that they would see each other later at the gym anyway. Payson returned home and showered quickly. She wore one of her many blue leotards and after having fixed her hair in her usual bun, she was ready to go.

Payson reached the kitchen and found her mother already up and cooking breakfast.

"Good morning mum!" Payson greeted her with a smile.

"Hey honey, are you going to the Rock?"

"Yup. Where's Brian?"

"He left about ten minutes ago. Lacrosse tryouts it seems."

"Of course." Payson smiled thinking about her little brother's love for the sport. It rivaled her love for gymnastics. "He's going to make the team for sure."

"Are you okay honey?" Her mother asked her then, probably noticing her nervousness.

"Yeah" Payson shrugged her shoulders in reply but her tone wasn't really convinced.

"It's going to be fine Payson, relax." Her mother tried to reassure her. "You five were inseparable. Those feelings don't just go away."

Payson smiled, not really reassured but knowing that she had to face her old friends sooner or later. "Yeah except that I saw Kaylie earlier while running and it was more than a little awkward. I felt like we were more like strangers then girls that used to be best friends."

Her mother looked at her with a sad smile but didn't reply.

About half an hour later, Payson was getting in the car and after a ten minutes drive, she was finally in front of The Rock. Payson took a deep breath, trying to find the courage to leave the comfort of her car and go inside.

A few seconds later she finally got out of the car and crossed the gym entrance. The little corridor that separated the entrance from the parking lot outside was deserted. Everyone was already inside.

After a last deep breath, she pushed open the glass and the many voices of a gym full of people assaulted her senses. She reached the locker-room in long strides and after having taken off her clothes, she was ready to begin training.

She didn't have any idea how they will get going without a coach but she imagined the assistant coaches were going to have their hands full the next few days, until a new Head Coach was found.

She reached the mat and began stretching. Suddenly she felt three pair of eyes watching her and she realized at once that Lauren, Emily and Kaylie had spotted her.

She turned her head and noticed first Lauren, saying hi with her hand at her and then Emily that smiled at her warmly a blonde girl next to her who was probably Heather.

Kaylie waved at her with a smile on her face, a black girl next to her that Payson didn't know. None of them tried to come closer to Payson though.

She returned their greetings briefly and then returned to stretching. She didn't expect anything else really.

Kaylie had warned her that morning after all.

Suddenly a voice coming from her left brought her out of her thoughts. "Payson Keeler. I thought you were supposed to be in Island or something. Wherever you were, it did you a lot of good." Max Spencer said to her, a flirty smile on his face. He looked at her from head to toe, his gaze lingering on her breasts and hips.

It wasn't just her mentality that had changed during the past year, she had changed a lot physically too, thanks to her ballet lessons. Max didn't need to make it so obvious though.

"Hum, England actually. And I just came back yesterday." Payson looked at him, mentally rolling her eyes and wondering why she used to like him so much in the past.

"Didn't you use to have a crush on me?" He asked cockily.

"I don't know. Did I?" She got up soon after, ignoring his stare and leaving him hanging.

The moment was soon interrupted by a commotion taking place at the gym's entrance. Steve Tanner had just entered inside the gym with his usual look of smugness firmly in place. Some things never change.

Payson decided to find out what the fuss was about and reached the little crowd that had formed around him.

Alex Cruz was suddenly standing near him, a big, satisfied smile crossing his face.

"I know that Marty's sudden defection to Denver left all of you in a grave state of distress but I was fortunately able to find a more than suitable substitute even with such a short notice. Without further delay, may I present you your new Head Coach?" Mr Tanner was saying.

In that moment a handsome, blonde figure that Payson recognized all too well, made his way inside.

'No, please. This is not happening.' Payson thought to herself, instantly beginning to panic.

"The four times Olympic Gold Medalist as well as the ex Romanian National Team Coach, Mr Sasha Belov."

Steve finished pompously.

Payson gaped in disbelief. "Oh my God!" She whispered to herself, trying to process what was happening.

She realized suddenly that she had been a complete idiot. During her meeting with Sasha yesterday, he had mentioned the fact that he had just accepted a job as a coach but at the time she had thought that he was going to train in Denver since she had heard that their coach was retiring. But when this morning she had talked to Kaylie and she had find out that Marty had left, the fact that Sasha was going to train at The Rock should have been obvious. But she had had so much to think about that the idea of him being her new coach hadn't even crossed her mind.

She looked at him, waiting anxiously for him to cross her gaze. Sasha's serious look was browsing from one athlete to the next, his behavior very different from that of last night.

When finally his gaze clashed against hers, his stern façade melted away instantly and he paled, looking at her in disbelief. "Bloody Hell!" She heard him mutter. He kept looking at her, not believing his eyes. Suddenly everyone else was looking at her too, probably trying to understand what was going on between the two of them.

Her cell phone beeping interrupted the awkward moment. Payson made her way to her purple and black bag, grabbing quickly her phone from it and reading the text message that she had just received.

**Why don't you introduce your boyfriend to the family? Sasha and your dad have so much in common already, both lawbreakers and all, they will get along just fine. -K**

Payson looked at the SMS in disbelief. "Kelly?" She whispered, now more than a little freaked out. After all there was only one person except for her who knew about her father and that was Kelly. Was it possible that she was back? That she wasn't dead after all?

"Miss Keeler, using phones during practice is not allowed. Turn it off. Now!" Sasha's angry voice reached her.

"Yes. Of course Mr Belov… I mean Coach Belov." She stuttered, hurrying to turn it off and put it back in the bag.

Kaylie, in the meantime, had reached her side, maybe noticing her troubled look. "Are you okay? Who texted you?"

"What? Oh, it was… it was nothing. I'm fine." She smiled at her, trying to convene her sincerity. Kaylie looked at her a little doubting but she let it go.

"Are you done chitchatting now?" Payson winced at his tone. He was furious. "Good. Please all of you, sit down. I have something to say. And Mr Tanner, Mr Cruz, I'd appreciate if, from now on, you and all the other parents could follow practice through the viewing area. I want only the athletes on the floor." He winced at his choice of words but nobody but Payson noticed. Payson blushed slightly at that and almost burst out laughing at the absurdity of the situation. She still couldn't believe that the man she was making out with last night, was now her coach. Laughing actually seemed like a good idea because if she did think too much about

it, she would probably cry or scream in frustration. Payson shook her head, defeated. Why her? She had never felt a connection so strong with anyone before. Yesterday evening, the meeting between the two of them, had just been so perfect and passionate. Damn her but she liked him, so much. She knew it was wrong, to still want him but she just couldn't turn off her feelings. She wanted him like she had never wanted anyone before in her life and maybe if they were careful, no one would find out about them. It was more than a little risky of course but he was worth it. But how to convince him to give the two of them a chance? It was going to be difficult but she had to try. Maybe wait until later that evening. He was just so angry now. He couldn't even look at her.

While immersed in her thoughts, she followed Kaylie until the two of them sat on the mat, ready to listen to Sasha's speech.

"You are all very special. You've chosen to do something very few people are capable of. Look at each other!"

When none of them move, he encouraged "Come on look!"

Payson looked first at Kaylie and then at Emily and Lauren, the two of them sitting away from each other behind her, but her gaze returned immediately to Sasha. Sasha though was determined to look at anything but at her.

"No one but your peers can understand what it takes to be the best gymnasts in the World! No one!" He continued to say, pointing towards the viewing room. "Which is why you need each other, but mostly you need me!

"I have a few simple rules: work as hard as I do, care as much as I do, sacrifice as much as I do! You will live, breathe, eat, sleep, bleed gymnastics and nothing else!"

Payson watched him, captivated. She bit her lower lip, observing the muscles in his arms and chest barely visible through his clothes tensing while he moved. His accented voice washed over her, making her shiver.

He was so passionate. And thinking that that passion was directed at her just yesterday. She couldn't lose him, she just couldn't. More determined than ever to convince him to continue whatever they had started yesterday, she spent half of practice trying to catch his attention but Sasha was equally determined to ignore her. Not to say that he wasn't looking at her routines but always from a distance and he merely nodded his head from time to time to let her know that she was doing well but not once looking her right in the eye.

Payson sighed and then decided to take matters into her own hands.

"Coach Belov!" She shouted to attract his attention. Sasha turned his head instinctively and Payson, taking advantage of the moment, executed her last tumbling pass on floor, the one she had been working on the last few months. It wasn't perfect yet but she was determined to have it ready for Nationals. It was a Double

Arabian piked, one of the most difficult elements on floor and the only F level tumbling pass present in her floor routine. She was hoping to impress him and make him pay attention.

It was her best attempt so far and she turned around with a smile. Sasha though merely nodded his head at her and turned around once again, checking Lauren's new beam routine and going back to ignore her. Payson was ready to burst out crying now, hurt and angry by his behavior. She understood where he was coming from of course but they couldn't go on like that. She shook her head and decided to stop her attempts for the moment, not wanting people to pay too much attention to her. 'This is far from over though Sasha.' She swore to herself, gazing fixatedly at him for a moment more and then deciding to concentrate on her training for the moment.

The rest of the day passed slowly. She couldn't remember a time she had desired practice to end like she did now. She had always loved her time at the gym but right now all she wanted was for practice to be over so that she could talk to him. Of course she couldn't just talk to him right after practice, it would attract too much attention to herself, especially after their little scene of before. No, she needed to be patient and wait until later that evening. She was sure Sasha was going to stay late today, working in his office and maybe preparing a plan of action to make the best possible use of the little time they had before Nationals. It would be the perfect opportunity. But patience wasn't one of her best qualities.

Finally, finally, they were free to go home. She gazed at him one more time and for a fraction of a second their eyes clashed for the second time that day, blue against green, but he immediately looked away. Payson sighed once more and then she went outside. 'See you later.' She thought as a promise before getting in the car and driving towards the Spruce Juice. She really needed time to herself and that place had really good memories for her, no matter what had happened.

She ordered a strawberry smoothie and sat around one of the tables outside. Suddenly voices to her left attracted her attention. It was Emily fashionably dressed like Kaylie had warned her she would be and with straight hair reaching her mid-back with a blonde girl that Payson recognized as Heather, if only because Kaylie had told her that her and Emily were best friends now. They were obviously about to sit at one of the tables too. Heather had the same blonde hair as always but that was where the similarities ended to the girl

Payson used to know. She didn't wear glasses anymore, her clothes were completely different and even if her hair were still kept short, they were in a style that suited her very much.

"Payson!" Emily exclaimed when she noticed Payson. Payson smiled at her and asked her and Heather to join her.

"Hey Em, Heather!"

"Hello Payson!" Heather said in a slightly high-pitched voice. "How are you? It's so good to see you. How was

England? When did you come back?"

Payson looked at her a little in astonishment since Heather was talking to her as they were long lost friends but Payson smiled at her anyway and said "England was good. I was even able to see the gym where the

Olympics will take place."

"Oh, wow. Imagine how it would be to compete there, one year from now." Heather said, her gaze awed, obviously daydreaming about it.

"We will compete there one year from now, Heather. There's really no one else who can hope to beat us Rock girls. And now that Payson's back, our team is complete." Emily explained with a tone of voice that Payson had never heard from her before. It was obvious that Emily had not only changed the way she dressed, her behavior was very different too. Gone was the shy girl of one year ago, replaced with someone completely different. But Payson couldn't really hold that against her. Payson herself had changed a lot in the last year.

"You can bet on it!" Payson said with a smile. Their moment was interrupted by Max Spencer who was walking around, handing out fliers. When he reached their table he stopped and smiled at them. "Hey there, lovelies!" he said before passing a flyer to each one of them.

"BLAST OFF! What's that?" Emily asked with a flirty tone that Payson had never heard her use before.

"Oh, just the keg of the year!" Max boasted. "Music, dance and all the beer you can drink...My family cabin, tonight. Party starts at ten."

"It sounds awesome." Emily continued with the same tone. "We'll be there for sure!" As soon as the guy was out of earshot Emily turned to her. "Are you going tonight, right? It would be the perfect way to celebrate your return in Boulder."

"I don't know. I kind of have a... thing planned already for tonight." Payson answered, thinking about Sasha.

"But if I'm able to get free early then I'll come for sure!"

"Great! See you tonight then." Emily and Heather left soon after. Payson remained seated on her table for a little while before she stood up too, retrieving her gym bag from her seat. She reached her car that was parked just around the corner and she went back home. 'Tonight' she thought one more time.

* * *

**11 June 2011 - Saturday Afternoon**

** **

** **

"Thanks for driving me home" Jordan said with a smile as soon as Kaylie had parked in front of Jordan's house.

Kaylie smiled back with a shrug. "It's no big deal" She answered shyly. "So, what do you think of the new coach?" She asked just to keep the conversation going.

"He seems rather strict. But, I don't know...I mean...it's not like I can make a comparison with Marty..."

Jordan commented and Kaylie almost kicked herself. Of course Jordan didn't even have the possibility to have Marty as a coach for a day.

"Right" Kaylie said a little embarrassed. "I heard he's a great coach though...and I mean...he's Sasha Belov, if he's as good as he was as an athlete..."

"Yeah. I still can't believe Mr Tanner convinced Sasha Belov to train at the Rock...he's basically a legend."

Jordan said, excitement in her voice now.

"Steve Tanner can be very persuasive...he's a lawyer you know. If there's something he's good at, it's to use words to his advantage..." Kaylie couldn't help but add.

"It looks like you know him well..." Jordan asked in a obviously curious voice.

"He's Lauren's dad...and I was really close with Lauren once so..." Kaylie tried to explain.

"Oh right. 'The five of you' you were talking about when we met...so it was you, Kelly Parker, Lauren Tanner and...Payson Keeler I guess..." At Kaylie's startled look she added "I saw the way you two looked at each other..."

"Yeah." Kaylie agreed before adding "And Emily Kmetko too. It was the five of us against the world once upon a time..."

"You miss them don't you?" Jordan asked in a compassionate tone.

Kaylie sighed "Sometimes. But after Kelly's disappearance, last summer...everything was different and being friends with them without Kelly was...difficult."

"That must have been awful for you. I can't even imagine what it means, losing a person who used to be your best friend like that...having no idea what happened to her..."

"I used to think if I didn't talk about her, I wouldn't think about her."

"But you still do..."

"Yeah" Kaylie said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry." Jordan said before asking "Is that why you are not friends anymore? Because spending time with each other reminded you of Kelly?"

"Why so many questions?" Kaylie asked a little irritated.

"Sorry. I'm just trying to get to know you..." Jordan replied apologetically.

Kaylie shook her head "No, I'm sorry. It's just...difficult, talking about it, that's all."

Jordan smiled at her. "All right, no more questions about your friends. But I have another question"

"Yeah?" Kaylie asked with a smile, having noticed immediately Jordan's lighter tone. "What's that?"

"There's this party tonight... at Max Spencer's cabin. He basically invited all the gym so, he invited me too even though I don't know him but..whatever. What I want to ask you is if you're going to be there?"

At Kaylie's startled look, she added a little embarrassed "It's just that I don't know anybody but you and...I would feel rather awkward going to a party where I don't know anyone..."

"Yes, yes, I'm going." Kaylie replied with a laugh "With my boyfriend. You can come with us if you want. We'll come pick you up at your house at...say...9:30?"

Jordan smiled at her "Yeah. Sure. I'll see you later then" She went to kiss Kaylie's cheek but in just that moment Kaylie moved and she ended up almost kissing her mouth. They moved back from each other embarrassed.

"Sorry" Jordan apologized immediately. Kaylie looked at her lap, feeling her cheeks burning but shook her head "No, it's okay".

"So, see you tonight" Jordan said before leaving Kaylie's car. "Yeah" Kaylie replied with a wave, watching her go up the driveway and then inside the house.

Kaylie revved the engine and was about to start the car to drive towards home when she heard her phone beeping from inside her bag. She retrieved it quickly and noticed that it was from an UNKNOWN sender. She opened it curiously and frowned at what she saw written on it.

**Friends don't kiss friends Kaylie, I already told you once! Wonder what your boyfriend would do if he ever finds out -K**

Kaylie was brought back to that day in the locker rooms, almost one year before Kelly's disappearance.

_They were the only two left that day, everyone else had already left the gym. Kelly had just gotten out of the shower, a towel wrapped around her body until she had simply let it fall to the floor in front of Kaylie before starting to get dressed._

_Kaylie had watched her because she just couldn't help herself and when Kelly had turned around, Kaylie had started to kiss her neck slowly, sweetly. Kelly had become rigid immediately before turning around in a fury._

_"What do you think you're doing?" Her eyes had been cold, angry. Kaylie had looked at her confused. "I thought..." But Kelly hadn't given her the chance to continue. "You thought what? That just because I kissed you, we're...what? Together?" Her tone had been derisive and had hurt Kaylie deeply "That kiss we shared the other day didn't mean anything. It was just practice for when I'll kiss boys. Because I like boys Kaylie, not girls. We're friends Kaylie and friends don't kiss other friends..." And with that said, she had dressed quickly and had left the gym in a hurry._

Kaylie almost screamed when someone knocked on her car window, bringing her out of her memories. She turned around and saw Lauren looking at her concerned. She rolled down the window and Lauren asked her immediately "Hey, are you okay?"

Kaylie smiled at her "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" then to change the subject she asked "So, great move your dad made today, bringing Sasha Belov to the Rock..."

Lauren smiled and shrugged "Right? I was just as surprised as everyone else was..."

"Really? You didn't know?" Kaylie asked surprised.

"No. I don't even know how my dad found him in the first place, or how he found the time to contact him since he was supposed to be at a meeting in California..."

"And you didn't ask?"

"You know how my father is. He starts to talk and talk and in the end you don't even remember what it was you had asked him to begin with..."

"Yeah, that does sound like your dad..." Kaylie said with a laugh. They smiled at each other for a moment then they became serious and awkward again.

"Well, see you on Monday I guess" Lauren said with a sad smile.

"You're not going to Max Spencer's party tonight?" Kaylie asked curiously.

Lauren looked even sadder. "No, my dad is bringing me to the Privilege tonight".

Kaylie looked confused for a second before widening her eyes in understanding "It's your birthday today. I'm so sorry Lauren, I don't know how I managed to forget it. Happy Birthday!"

"It's okay" Lauren said with a shrug "And thanks! See you then!" Lauren walked away without giving her the time to answer and Kaylie cursed herself for having forgotten something so important. Sure, they weren't as close as they used to be but actually forgetting her birthday?

She shook her head and finally drove towards home, trying not to think about what had almost happened with Jordan, about the strange message she had received and about what had just happened with Lauren. All she wanted to think about was finding something sexy to dress in for tonight's party so to finally convince her boyfriend to have sex with her. It was time, she was ready and she didn't understand why he wanted to wait.

Weren't guys the ones that were supposed to want to have sex while the girls the ones that wanted to wait?

Tonight was the night she would lose her virginity with Nicky and she wanted to make sure nothing would stand in the way of that.

* * *

"I ran into Kim Keeler today. Why didn't you tell me Payson was back?" Chloe Kmetko asked Emily as soon as the two of them had sat around the table to have lunch.

"I didn't think it was important for you to know." Emily replied with a shrug while playing with the salad on her plate "We're teammates but...it's not like we hang out together outside of practice. We're not friends anymore"

"She didn't know Walker and I are divorced. I hate telling that story"

"What? That he was a jerk who cheated on you and thought he was smart enough that you wouldn't find out about it? At least you got millions out of him thanks to the prenup he insisted you signed...and Steve Tanner as your lawyer". Emily said with scorn.

"Emily..." Chloe reprimanded her slightly.

"What? It's the truth. Just say that he asked for your forgiveness and that you basically told him to shove it and that you were the one who asked for the divorce and, to prove that nobody can do to you what he did and get away with it, you fleeced him of a lot of money as compensation for all the crap he put you through..."

"Well, I have to admit, it does sound a lot better than the truth. If it wasn't for Steve who convinced me to use what he found out about him thanks to that PI he hired, when Walker asked me to divorce, I would be penniless as well as humiliated".

"See? Nobody needs to know that we got dumped" Emily added with fake cheer.

"'We' didn't get dumped. I did" Chloe corrected but Emily shook her head.

"He left the both of us" Emily said in a hard tone. The moment was interrupted by the bell ringing. Emily looked at her mother with a shrug before standing up from the table to go open the door.

When Emily opened the door, she found herself face to face with a police officer. She gulped.

"Emily Kmetko?" The man asked her in a formal tone.

"Yes, why?" She asked him, trying to cover her nervousness.

"Is your mother home?" The man asked without answering her question. Chloe arrived in that moment and asked "What's this about?"

"We received a call from the Boulder mall security. They have your daughter on tape Shoplifting a pair of sunglasses." The policeman replied in the same stern voice.

Chloe looked at her daughter for a second, startled, before turning towards the police officer "I'm sure there's been a mistake".

"I don't think so" The man replied with an emotionless voice "Can you please turn around?"

Emily looked towards her mother in panic but turned around, allowing the officer to put her in handcuffs.

After a humiliating drive in the backseat of a police car like a common criminal, she was at the police station, waiting outside the room of 'Detective Joe Dalton' like the plate on his door stated waiting for the verdict and hoping her mother would find a way to get her out of trouble.

In that moment she received a text message on her phone and with a startled look, she checked what was written on it.

**Don't worry Em, being arrested is just another bump in the road for you, and you should be used to that, right? -K**

Emily reread the text at least three times before the full meaning of its words hit her completely. How did they know? Nobody knew about that except...but no, she was dead, wasn't she?

She was immediately brought back to about two months before Kelly's disappearance.

_She had called her in a panic because that's what she was used to do when something went wrong, asking Kelly for help._

_Kelly had reached her home fifteen minutes later and after having explained the situation to her, Kelly had frowned and her eyes had become dark and haunted._

_"Did he hurt you? Did he force you into it?" She had immediately asked Emily._

_Emily had looked at her confused before shaking her head in denial "Of course not. Why would you think that?"_

_Kelly had looked at her for a long minute before smiling her 'commercial' smile "It's my brother. I don't ever know what to expect from him." Then, after a long pause, she had added "What are you going to do now?"_

_Emily had lowered her gaze, her eyes filling with tears. "I don't know. It all happened so fast and I don't even remember most of it. We were both drunk, him more than me." She couldn't keep the tears at bay, slowing descending down her cheeks. "Please Kelly, tell me what to do"._

_Kelly's gaze had become suddenly cold before answering "There's only one thing you can do and you know it unless you want to lose everything you've worked so hard for"._

"Let's go" Her mother brought her out of her thoughts, her voice cold like Emily had never heard it before.

"Really? I can go just like that?" Emily asked surprised.

Her mother didn't answer her, walking quickly towards the exit with Emily struggling to keep up with her steps.

As soon as they were encased inside her mother's car, Chloe turned towards her in fury. "What the hell were you thinking? In a small town like this, what people thinks about you matters. And if it comes out that you've been arrested by the police, your chances at the Olympics are over, done"

Emily looked at her lap in shame "I know".

"Then why would you risk it all to steal a pair of sunglasses? Emily, I buy you everything you wish, it's not like we can't afford it now." Chloe's tone was more worried and disappointed now than angry but that didn't make Emily feel better.

"That's not why I do it." She tried to explain in a small voice.

"Then why? And wait, this is something you do often?"

"Sometimes" Emily said with a shrug without looking at her.

"This is about Walker isn't it? And Marty?" Her mother asked her, this time with understanding.

"I feel like so much has been taken from me already and I...I don't know, maybe this was my way of taking something back. I know, it's twisted and...stupid. I'm sorry, I made a mistake."

Chloe sighed but didn't appear angry anymore. "You can't afford to make mistakes, not in this town and not one year away from the Olympics".

"I know. I'll fix it somehow. I promise" Emily swore, feeling smaller and smaller with each passing second.

"No. You will deny that you've done anything wrong. It was a misunderstanding"

"But..." Emily tried to protest, looking confused.

"I'm taking care of it" Chloe said with finality. Emily looked at her a long second before nodding. She didn't know how her mother would take care of it but Emily trusted her.

* * *

Lauren was relaxing in the sauna after a long morning of practice, eyes closed and sprawled on the bench with only a towel to cover her body. She thought she was alone in the house when she heard the door opening and a familiar male figure entering inside. She sat immediately and tried to cover herself at best she could, suddenly embarrassed. She looked at Brad who was also wearing a towel and nothing else and she blushed slightly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know someone else was here. Maybe I should go..." Brad said a little shyly.

"No, it's okay. You just startled me, that's all. You can stay" Lauren replied without looking at him. Brad went to sat on the opposite bench, probably feeling uncomfortable too.

"So, how was practice? Training hard for the Olympics?" He asked her with a smile, just to break the awkward tension.

"It was okay" Lauren replied with a shrug, feeling the towel slipping slightly. She readjusted it quickly before adding "We have a new coach since the old one bailed on us".

"Yeah?" Brad asked her curiously. "How is he?"

"Strict" Lauren replied with another shrug "but good. He's Sasha Belov, the four times Olympic gold medalist so it's like we hit jackpot as far as coaches go..."

"That's good then" Brad replied awkwardly.

"Yeah" Lauren agreed back and the conversation stalled. Lauren tried to relax again and closed her eyes, trying to find a comfortable position while sitting down.

She touched her sore shoulder almost on autopilot, trying to ease the pain. She had twisted her shoulder slightly while on bars that morning and now it hurt, though it was nothing serious fortunately. An injury this close to Nationals would be disastrous.

"Does your shoulder hurt?" She heard Brad's voice close to her ear and opened her eyes with a startle. Brad had moved beside her and she hadn't even notice.

Lauren smiled at him before replaying "A little. It's just sore, with a little ointment and some painkillers, tomorrow I'll be as good as new"

Brad looked at her a little uncertainly before saying "I could help, if you want. I'm really good with massages..."

Lauren looked at him unsure for a few seconds, her consciousness telling her that this was a really bad idea but she nodded in agreement at him before turning around. She could feel his warms hands releasing the knots on her shoulders and neck.

"Oh, this is really good" She said in a slight moan.

"Yeah?" She heard his voice very close to her ear, his warm breath caressing her neck. She hummed in approval before turning around again to face him. Their faces were so very close together, their lips a breath away from touching when suddenly they heard Tricia's voice calling for Brad.

They sprung apart guilty and Lauren didn't lose any time in leaving the sauna without looking behind her.

After a long shower to calm herself down, she was sitting at her desk, completing some math homework her tutor had assigned her when she noticed her phone lightened by an unread message.

She opened it curiously and widened her eyes in fear when she read it.

**Poor Lauren, always wants what Tricia has, boyfriends included. But remember, if you kiss I tell - K**

Lauren remembered immediately that day at her house, when she had invited Kelly for a sleepover.

_They were sitting on the sofa in front of the TV, watching some black and white movie and eating junk food in their PJs when suddenly Tricia and Carter had entered the room hand in hand._

_Kelly had immediately sat up straight before looking directly at her "You should tell Tricia" in a voice loud enough for both Tricia and Carter to hear._

_"Tell me what?" Tricia had immediately asked her._

_"Nothing" Lauren had glared at Kelly forcefully before grabbing her arm, basically pulling her out of the room._

_"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lauren had asked her in an angry voice._

_"She's going to find out" Kelly had simply replied back._

_"No, she's not" Lauren had denied immediately. "Because I'm not going to tell her and you won't either"._

_"Oh yeah?" Kelly had asked her in a challenging voice. "And how do you plan to stop me?"_

_"Simple. If you tell Tricia about me and Carter, I will tell the police the truth about Razor"._

_"You wouldn't" Kelly had said, anger obvious in her voice._

_"Yes, I would. Tricia doesn't need to know because what happened between Carter and me is not going to happen again. So promise me you won't tell anything to anyone"_

_Kelly had glared at her but then she had slumped in defeat, a petulant pout on her face "Fine". Then with a smile she had added "You're almost as mean as me Lauren. I knew there was a reason I picked you"._

_Lauren smiled back and the argument was forgotten._

Lauren returned to the present when she heard a knock at the door.

"Hey sweetie" It was her father. Lauren smiled at him immediately. "Hey daddy."

"Have you not started to get ready for dinner yet?"

"Oh? Uhm..." She said a little distractedly "I was just doing some homework but I'm finished now, so I will get dressed"

"Great" Steve said excitedly "Tonight is a special night and I want everything to be perfect"

Lauren looked at him a little confusedly but also happy for his consideration "I'm sure it will". Steve nodded at her with another big smile before leaving the room.

Lauren got up from the desk and started to get dress after one last look at her phone. Two hours later, wearing her new light blue dress paired up with high heels and a touch of makeup, she was ready to go, the strange text message she had received very far away from her thoughts.


End file.
